NEW YORK – As soon as there was an opening for a new United States Davis Cup captain, Jim Courier began lobbying for the job.
His aggressive approach worked.
The four-time Grand Slam champion was hired by the US Tennis Association to lead the country’s Davis Cup team, replacing Patrick McEnroe, who resigned last month.
“I’ve always known, once I got a taste of playing Davis Cup, if I were given an opportunity to be the captain, I would certainly want to take it,” Courier, 40, said last weekend during a news conference in New York.
Andy Roddick, the 2003 US Open champion and highest-ranked American man, tweeted: “Jim Courier new Davis Cup captain …. great choice!”
Courier said Roddick told him he was committed to playing Davis Cup next year.
McEnroe served as US captain for ten years, winning the 2007 Davis Cup to end the country’s 12-year drought.
Saying he wanted to dedicate time to his family and his other jobs, McEnroe abruptly announced during the US Open – where Courier was working as an analyst for CBS Sports – that he was stepping down.
Within less than an hour of McEnroe’s departure being reported, Courier said on TV during his network’s coverage of the tournament that he would be interested in leading the team.
“I was kind of put on the spot by my colleague Ian Eagle at the US Open,” Courier said with a laugh.
“I hope I handled it OK. I didn’t want to be seen as grandstanding or lobbying too hard for the position.”
As a player, Courier helped the United States win the Davis Cup in 1992 and 1995. (AP)
