Commercial presentation Updated: 15/09/2024 10:38 Published: 15/09/2024, 10:13
Illustrative photo – Press conference of the Czech tennis team before Davis Cup qualification, January 31, 2024, Vitality Slezsko hall, Vendryně (Frýdecko-Místecko). The captain of the Czech Davis Cup team, Jaroslav Navrátil. CTK/Ožana Jaroslav
Prague – Jaroslav Navrátil retired from the position of captain, which he held for 18 years, after the elimination of the tennis players from the Davis Cup. The Czech national team will be led by Tomáš Berdych, a former player and two-time winner of this team competition. The management of the Czech Tennis Association announced this in a press release today.
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“The decision was made on the basis of our agreement with Jaroslav Navrátil, in accordance with the prepared concept of the development of Czech tennis until 2028, in response to the generational change of the team, but also to the current events in Valencia,” said the president of the association Jakub Kotrba.
Navrátil has been Davis Cup captain since 2006. In 2012 and 2013, he triumphed in the competition with the team. This year, the Czechs finished in the group stage, when they were not enough to beat Spain, Australia or France due to health problems and took the last fourth place in Group B in Valencia. Navrátil then became the target of criticism from former players Jan Hájek and Lukáš Rosol for nominating only four out of five possible players.
“Jaroslav deserves all the respect for everything he has done for the Czech Davis Cup, and we will certainly find an opportunity to thank him for it in front of a full hall together with the fans,” added Kotrba.
The 38-year-old Berdych ended his career five years ago. Together with Radek Štěpánek, he was one of the mainstays of the national team that won the Davis Cup in 2012 and 2013. Among other things, he fought his way to the Wimbledon final and to fourth place in the world rankings. Since last season, he has been working as a member of the coaching team of one of the best Czech tennis players, Jiří Lehečka.
“With the Davis Cup, I experienced unforgettable moments of my tennis career, that’s why I didn’t hesitate for a moment to accept the offer. I will be happy if I can succeed with the new young, strong generation of players that is growing in the Czech Republic, once again the same thing that we did more than ten years,” said Berdych.
He will now meet the players during the upcoming tournaments in Asia. Berdych will appear in the role of non-playing captain for the first time in February 2025, when he will lead the Davis Cup selection in the qualification for advancement to the group stage of the competition. The opponent and venue will be determined by the International Tennis Federation.
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