Vasek Pospisil’s embellished Davis Cup profession with Canada is over.
Pospisil teamed up with Liam Draxl to beat Hungary’s Mate Valkusz and Peter Fajta in a must-win doubles match Sunday on the males’s crew tennis event.
The 34-year-old from Vernon, B.C., introduced he’d performed his final Davis Cup tie after the match, including he’ll retire from tennis altogether someday this yr.
“There have been quite a lot of feelings earlier than the match. I did not wish to speak about it earlier than, did not need it to be a distraction for the crew,” Pospisil mentioned subsequent to a shocked Draxl at their post-match information convention. “Simply the perfect reminiscences of my profession, taking part in with the crew. Davis Cup means a lot to me and these guys meant a lot, and taking part in on your nation.
“It simply had such an enormous, large impression on my profession and life.”
Canada in the end did not make a comeback and misplaced 3-2 to Hungary on this weekend’s first-round qualifier.
Pospisil later addressed the group and Tennis Canada government Valerie Tetreault introduced him with a bottle of maple syrup on the IGA Stadium indoor exhausting courtroom to mark the event.
Pospisil was a mainstay on Canada’s Davis Cup roster for greater than a dozen years, representing the nation in 35 ties after making his first look in 2008.
In 2022, he went 5-2 in singles and doubles mixed to assist Canada triumph to its first-ever title.
“I do not suppose I’ve ever needed to win any extra in my life than that title that we gained there,” he mentioned.
Pospisil’s 32-27 all-time report makes him the second-winningest Canadian in Davis Cup historical past behind the good Daniel Nestor.
“I do not suppose there’s anyone in Canadian tennis historical past who has given extra to Davis Cup than him,” teammate Gabriel Diallo mentioned of Pospisil. “Taking time away from the calendar to go play these ties, even when he was younger, 20-21 and he was on tour tearing it up.
“Coming right into a Davis Cup my first time, it units the tone just about for a way vital this competitors is. … We’ll all cherish what he is performed for this nation, the unselfishness that he had within the locker room. It is fairly inspiring and I can solely dream of getting the Davis Cup profession that he had.”
On the ATP Tour, Pospisil reached a career-high No. 25 singles rating in 2014.
In doubles, he gained Wimbledon alongside American teammate Jack Sock in 2014 and climbed to No. 4 on the earth in 2015.
Pospisil additionally made a mark off the courtroom as a significant advocate for tennis gamers, becoming a member of Novak Djokovic in founding the Skilled Tennis Gamers Affiliation in 2019.
“Superb man, wonderful profession,” mentioned Canada crew captain Frank Dancevic, one in all two individuals who knew of Pospisil’s forthcoming retirement. “We’re gonna miss him for positive. He introduced quite a lot of worth to the crew along with his singles and doubles play and his charisma on and off the courtroom.
“I am positive, in a method or one other, he’ll be a part of the crew sooner or later.”
Pospisil got here up clutch a number of occasions in his remaining Davis Cup match. He hit a backhand return down the road to transform a break-point alternative within the second set, held off Hungary along with his serve and hit an ace on match level.
He isn’t positive what the longer term holds, however feels assured this time is true to name it quits
“I’ll decide on once I’ll be performed with tennis utterly. It’s not precisely clear, however at present is unquestionably the final Davis Cup match of my profession,” he mentioned. “There are younger gamers coming who’re taking part in very well, and I would like to consider the subsequent steps in my life.
“I’ve performed quite a lot of years in tennis, so for me that is the best time to cease.”
