Tennis: Carlos Alcaraz hopes to capitalise on home court advantage at Davis Cup Finals 2024 group stage

There is no underestimating Carlos Alcaraz’s stardom in Spain.

Whether it is the billboards adorning his face in Madrid’s Puerta del Sol or his vast popularity on social media, ‘Carlitos’ is adored by the Spanish fans.

That is what will make the 2024 Davis Cup Finals group stage so special for Alcaraz, playing a home tennis tournament for the second time this season following the Madrid Open ATP Masters tournament in April.

Alcaraz will lead Spain in their Group B campaign against Australia, Czechia, and France in September. The stage is the Pavelló Municipal Font de Sant Lluís in Valencia, just 200km up the coast from his hometown of El Palmar in Murcia.

It is a fantastic opportunity not only for Spaniards to see their poster boy on home soil, but also for Alcaraz to find his feet again and end the year on a high.

• Davis Cup tennis showdowns to look out for, from Alcaraz to Draper
• 2024 Davis Cup Finals Group Stage preview, schedule, results

Carlos Alcaraz looks to rediscover that golden feeling

Alcaraz has had an incredible season, winning the French Open and Wimbledon, but he will no doubt be disappointed after a difficult August.

First, he was edged out in a thrilling gold medal match at Paris 2024 by Novak Djokovic, taking silver but in tears upon his devastating defeat at Roland-Garros.

Just 26 days later, the world number three was stunned in the US Open second round, dismantled in straight sets by the unseeded underdog Botic van de Zandschulp.

A challenging few weeks should not cast a cloud over Alcaraz’s brilliance, with plenty to still play for in the Davis Cup.

“Right now I’m actually a lot better,” Alcaraz said ahead of the group stage opener against Czechia, as per the Spanish Tennis Federation (RFET). “Obviously, after the defeat in New York there were some doubts and a couple of bad days.

“But we knew we had to be back on court as soon as possible, and honestly I've been training for several days pretty motivated to play the Davis Cup.”

Alcaraz has faced on court adversity that perhaps he had grown unfamiliar of, but if there was any place for him to bounce back and get back to his best again, it is on his home courts.

Alcaraz’s motivation for Spain: ‘it is always special’

The 21-year-old’s affection for his nation is no secret – he was celebrating every Olympic and Paralympic medal for Spain at Paris 2024, challenging Pau Gasol for the title of the European country's number one fan.

Alcaraz fulfilled one dream of representing Spain at the Olympics, and he made his Davis Cup debut in 2022 winning two matches and losing one.

Having missed out on the knockout stages in 2022 and the entire tournament in 2023 due to fatigue, this year gives a unique opportunity for the man they lovingly call 'Carlitos' (little Carlos) to go all the way on home soil and help Spain to their first Davis Cup triumph in five years.

“In the end, playing for your country is always special,” Alcaraz explained. “Your teammates are always there to cheer you on at all times. So, I think it's a week that I'm going to make the most of. It will be good for me mentally to manage my emotions and get a good feeling for the rest of the season.”

The motivation for Alcaraz is enhanced by the deep red colours he will adorn, entering the final stages of a stellar season which he will look back on fondly.

Yet the cherry on the cake is still to come. If Spain finish among the top two teams in Valencia, they will be rewarded with another home tournament. The Davis Cup Finals knockout stage will also be held in Spain, further down the coast, on the Costa del Sol in Málaga.

It is little further away, but still not far from Murcia, where Alcaraz has gone from playing at his local tennis club as a four-year-old to flying the flag for Spain on the global stage.

Spain get their Davis Cup campaign underway on 11 September against Czechia, playing France two days later before finishing the group stage in a massive clash against 2023 finalists Australia on 15 September.