Three-time Slam champion takes over as Austria Davis Cup captain

Stefan Koubek will be replaced as captain of the Austrian Davis Cup team by a former top 10 pro in both singles and doubles.

Jurgen Melzer retired from the sport this year at his home event, the Vienna Open, a tournament he won twice in singles in 2009 and 2010 and once in doubles in 2014.

Now, the 40-year-old, who is also the sports director for the Austrian Tennis Federation (ÖTV) will take on the job of leading his nation at the Davis Cup.

“Stefan Koubek did an excellent job as the Davis Cup captain,” ÖTV Vice President Georg Blumauer said concerning the news. “For this he deserves a huge thank you.

“The appointment of Jurgen Melzer as captain is, however, the logical consequence of his function as [the man] responsible for all sporting matters of ÖTV since the beginning of 2021.”

Melzer’s first tie in charge of the team will be against South Korea as part of the qualification process for the 2022 Finals.

Austria will play away against the Koreans on 4th and 5th March 2022.

Melzer himself got as far as the quarter-finals of the Davis Cup in representing Austria, doing so in 2012 before losing to eventual finalists Spain.

Individually, Melzer peaked at world number eight in singles and world number six in doubles.

He won two men’s doubles Major titles at Wimbledon in 2010 and the US Open in 2011, both with German Philipp Petzschner, as well as winning the Wimbledon mixed doubles in 2011 alongside Czech Iveta Benesova.

Finally, Melzer reach the final of the doubles ATP Finals in 2020 with partner Edouard Roger-Vasellin, losing to Wesley Koolhof and Nikola Mektic there.

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