Who will be the next Davis Cup US Team Captain?
In the wake of Patrick McEnroe’s recent retirement from his ten year tenure as the captain of the Davis Cup US team, the team finds itself advertising for a new captain to lead them into the World Group in March 2011. The US team will be competing against
Chile in these matches.
The trouble with finding a new captain for the team is the legend Patrick McEnroe left behind, his tact, class and ability to inspire loyalty and commitment led the team to victory multiple times, and the US team will doubtless anticipate a new captain of
the same calibre. Here are some of the likely qualifiers, with Cup records listed.
Jim Courier: This candidate has a singles winning record of 16-10, a doubles record of 1-0; he has played in 14 ties, and was a member of two Cup-winning US teams at the Davis Cup, in 1992 and 1995. Courier may well be the obvious choice:
he’s well-known in the world of tennis, which USTA professionals have preferred in the past, he has a good track record at the Davis Cup, and he is enthusiastic about the position.
Possibly the only con to this candidate is the warning left behind by John McEnroe and his hugely unsuccessful 14 month run as the captain of the team. Big personalities such as Courier may still be unable to handle the interpersonal skills and negotiation,
which produces a good team.
Courier can use his own four Grand Slam titles as leverage with the team, since only one of them, Andy Roddick, is an international star and a Grand Slam winner, with the others being more minor players.
Brad Gilbert: Gilbert’s record is 10-5 in singles with eight ties, although he has never been on a winning team at the Cup. He has made his interest in the job quite obvious, which is one of his biggest drawbacks. Gilbert is utterly brash,
and more than a little obnoxious at times.
This may work in his favour, since it is very easy to see this man calling the shots in the locker room to motivate his players against the opponents; add to this, his ESPN broadcasting position guarantees publicity for the tournament. However, the USTA
is, at best, a conservative establishment, and Gilbert’s attitude and hyperactivity may not be what they look for in a captain.
Jay Berger: Berger’s Davis Cup record is perfect, but then again, he only played two matches at the tournament. However, it must be kept in mind that his matches included a critical win for the US team against then World Number 2, Jaime
Yzaga, catapulting them into the World Group in 1988.
Another definite plus for Berger is his position as the official coach during Patrick McEnroe’s captaincy, making him a familiar figure for the players on the team. The retiring captain himself vouched for Berger, saying, “Jay has been invaluable.
Our Davis Cup effort and player development work hand-in-hand, and Jay has to get tremendous credit for how well it's worked out”. Jay Berger has just enough clout to make it to the captaincy, but in the end, only the USTA can swing the decision between
these players, or maybe even a different contender.
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