Davis Cup Captain no more; Patrick McEnroe
Former tennis professional and Davis cup captain, Patrick McEnroe announced that he will in fact be relinquishing his Davis Cup captaincy. The statement was made during a press conference at the 2010 U.S. Open.
In the words of McEnroe, “It is with a heavy heart that I am resigning as Davis Cup captain, but it is a decision I felt was best for the team and myself right now.” The former captain went on to say that the Davis Cup is a significant time commitment and this decision will allow him to focus more energy on his family and to the USTA Player Development program.
Former World no. 1, Jim Courier was amongst the gentlemen who instantaneously showed interest in the position. Courier is currently serving as a tennis analyst at CBS sports. In a statement released by the CBS television network, Jim stated that the Davis Cup means the world to him. Furthermore, he exclaimed that at some point in his life, he’d certainly hope to have the seat.
McEnroe has held on to his captaincy for nothing short of a decade. He holds the record for having the longest tenure in the history of the U.S. Davis Cup. In the year 2007, Jim’s team came out victorious at the Davis Cup. The former professional also captained the U.S. Men’s team at the 2004 Summer Olympics, in Athens.
Part-owner of the New York Sportimes of World TeamTennis, McEnroe serves as a TV commentator for ESPN and CBS Sports. The former professional also hosts the ‘Pardon the interuption’ program on ESPN. During his career, Patrick was ranked no. 3 in the world in the Men’s doubles category.
Nevertheless, McEnroe stated that he will stay on till the Team USA’s World Group playoff vs. Columbia. The event will be held in Bogota, Columbia and will kick off on the 17th of September 2010. McEnroe’s team will consist of professionals such as Mardy Fish, John Isner, Sam Querry and Ryan Harrison. The Bryan brothers will not be making an appearance at the event.
Hailing from the United States, Jim Courier has remained World no. 1 during his career as a tennis professional. The sportsman has four grand slam titles to his name, two of which were won at the French Open, and the remaining two at the Australian Open.
Courier seems to be more than just enthusiastic about taking over McEnroe’s throne. Considering the fact that the former professional is one of the best players of his time, he could quite possibly prove able for the American team.
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