2024 Finals: Spotlight on Spain
30/10/2024 09:00
Spain has a proud record in this competition and they will be looking to end a long wait for another victory in front of their home fans in Malaga
By Kevin Palmer
SPAIN
Ranking: 6
Champions: 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1998
THE HISTORY
Spain were the team to beat in the 1990s, when Arantxa Sanchez Vicario led their march to five memorable victories.
Their last victory came in 1998, as Sanchez Vicario and Conchita Martinez beat a Switzerland team featuring Martina Hingis.
RECORD BREAKERS
Arantxa Sanchez Vicario holds most of the significant records for the Spain Billie Jean King Cup team, with her record of 72 match wins a record for this competition.
Sanchez Vicario's 50 singles wins is also a Billie Jean King Cup record and she was also involved in the longest tie-break featuring a Spanish player, as she claimed an 11-9 victory over Nathalie Tauziat.
In addition, she is the youngest player to represent Spain, aged just 14 years, 7 months and 2 days when she made her debut in July 1986.
HOW THEY QUALIFIED
Spain qualified for the Billie Jean King Cup Finals as hosts.
MEET THE CAPTAIN - Anabel Medina Garrigues
With a career-high ranking of No. 16, Medina Garrigues won 11 titles during a career that saw her reach the fourth round at the Australian Open and French Open.
She was a doubles expert and a two-time French Open doubles champion (2008, 2009) while also winning a silver medal in the 2008 Olympics with partner Virginia Ruano Pascual. They were beaten in the gold medal match by the USA duo of Venus and Serena Williams.
Medina Garrigues has been in charge of Spain's Billie Jean King Cup team since 2017 and she has taken her experience playing in this competition into her new role.
"As captain, I know what the players feel, what they like and what they don't," added the former player who had an 8-3 winning record in doubles during her Billie Jean King Cup career.
"The fact that I have been a player helps me a lot to manage them in the best way. With their character and their personality, you have to know how to adapt to all of them."
WHO'S IN THE TEAM?
Paula Badosa has enjoyed a thrilling return to form in 2024, after a challenging run with injuries over the last couple of years.
She reached the quarter-finals at the US Open, the last-16 at Wimbledon and the third round of the Australian Open and French Open this year.
A semi-finalist at the WTA 1000 tournament in Cincinnati and the China Open, Badosa also won the fourth WTA Tour title of her career with a victory in the Citi Open in Washington.
Yet she admits there have been moments over the last few months when she doubted whether she would get back to the top of the game.
"The low point for me was in the middle of the season. It was really bad. Coming from the injury at the beginning, you never know what to expect," said Badosa during the US Open.
"At the start of the season, I was OK, but I was struggling with my back and it wasn't responding well. My results weren't what I was expecting at that moment. So it was really bad.
"In my mind, I was thinking maybe I should quit because if I'm not at the highest level, I don't want to play this sport. I don't want to be in the ranking I was in that moment. For me, it doesn't make sense. So the last few months have been amazing."
The Spain team is completed by Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, Cristina Bucsa, Nuria Parrizas Diaz and Sara Sorribes Tormo.
Tickets for Spain's opening tie against Poland are sold out. You can still buy tickets for their possible semi-final against Czechia.
