Carlos Moya, a former world number one and one of the most charismatic players in Spain’s tennis history, is the country’s new Davis Cup captain.
“After so many years as a player, it is a natural step to take. It comes at a perfect time,” Moya said on Thursday.
As he was formally unveiled as the replacement of outgoing captain Alex Corretja, he mentioned winning Spain’s “sixth salad bowl” as his main goal in the job.
Moya, 37, won the French Open in 1998 and was briefly world number one a year later.
He recalled Thursday how the memory of the 2004 Davis Cup final in Seville, in which he won the decisive point to beat the United States, still gives him goose bumps.
“I have accepted my retirement over two, three years. This is also a good time because I am going to be working with players I know. I have played against all of them, I have played against many of those who will be our rivals in the Davis Cup,” Moya said.
Moya, who retired in 2010, is also one of the best friends of current world-number one Rafael Nadal.
The Spanish hope to win again in 2014 a trophy they have lifted five times since 2000.