"The world’s No.1 doubles player not playing for U.S. Davis Cup team?" - American journalist and author hits out at Rajeev Ram's exclusion from US Davis Cup team featuring Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe, Jack Sock and Tommy Paul
American sports journalist Jon Wertheim expressed his displeasure at the preference of Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe, Jack Sock and Tommy Paul over doubles World No. 1 Rajeev Ram in the US Davis Cup team.
The journalist was of the opinion that the seemingly preposterous decision needs to be highlighted. He took to social media to express his views.
“Have we, as a tennis community, made enough of the fact the world’s No.1 doubles player is eligible and not playing for U.S. Davis Cup team? Indiana bias here, but Rajeev Ram was done clay court dirty,” he tweeted.
Have we, as a tennis community, made enough of the fact the world’s No.1 doubles player is eligible and not playing for U.S. @DavisCup team? Indiana bias here, but @RajeevRam was done clay court dirty ..
Ram, the 2022 US Open men’s doubles Grand Slam champion, also collected two other titles this season at the Monte Carlo Masters and the Cincinnati Masters. He featured alongside Fritz, Paul and Sock in the Davis Cup tie in September, where the US team scored victories over Great Britain and Kazakhstan to make the final-8. His addition, however, was made after 2022 US Open semifinalist Tiafoe withdrew from the initial squad assembled by team captain Mardy Fish.
With Tiafoe now confirmed for participation in the finals, Ram has been excluded from the US Davis Cup team.
Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe, Jack Sock and Tommy Paul team up for Davis Cup
Americans Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe, Jack Sock and Tommy Paul put on a victorious showing at the Laver Cup. The quartet was part of the Team World squad, which also included Felix Auger-Aliassime, Diego Shwartzman and Alex de Minaur.
Although Paul was chosen as the alternate, Fritz, Tiafoe and Sock scored some outstanding wins against Team Europe to aid Team World to their first-ever Laver Cup title in five editions.
Notably, Fritz scored a win against Britain’s Cameron Norrie while Sock and Tiafoe downed the iconic pair of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. In their final encounter, Tiafoe outsmarted Stefanos Tsitsipas to lift the title.
The young brigade will now represent their country in the Davis Cup Finals set to be held on the indoor hard courts of Malaga, Spain from November 22-27. American No. 1, Taylor Fritz, who recently debuted in the top 10 in the world rankings and has collected three titles so far this season, including the Indian Wells Masters, will lead the team under the captaincy of Mardy Fish.
They are set to compete against a robust Italian team of Jannik Sinner, Matteo Berrettini, Lorenzo Musetti, Fabio Fognini and Simone Bolleli in the quarterfinals.
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