With all that has transpired in the weeks immediately following the US Open, the autumn portion of the 2014 season has hardly been dull.  But for all of the drama on the court, the announcement that the Spanish Tennis Federation had named former top-30 WTA pro Gala Leon Garcia as its new Davis Cup captain has caused the greatest stir.  It was a decision that came as a surprise and has many wondering what the motivations were behind it, as well as its potential for success.

Leon will begin her stint as Davis Cup captain firmly behind the eight-ball, beginning with the fact that she may be lacking some solid key support.  For all that members of the Spanish government, the Spanish Tennis Federation, and others, such as Andy Murray, who recently hired Amelie Mauresmo as his full-time coach, have praised her appointment, others are more skeptical. Feliciano Lopez has publicly bemoaned the fact that none of the current crop of Spanish players was consulted on the decision, while Rafael Nadal has expressed his puzzlement at Leon’s appointment and concern for the locker room logistics that might be involved.  Nadal’s uncle and coach, Toni Nadal, has also been extremely critical of the decision, questioning Leon’s ability to effectively coach in the men’s game. 

Toni Nadal, along with others, stated they thought another prominent male player – namely Juan Carlos Ferrero – would have been better for the job.  There is no denying that Ferrero would make an excellent candidate for the Davis Cup captain.  It may simply have been that with his other business ventures, he was currently unavailable.  But if Ferrero, or any other former ATP professional for that matter, were available, it does beg the question of whether the Spanish Tennis Federation honestly felt Leon was the best person for the job, or whether she was simply the best person for the job at this juncture in time.

The current situation could very well have been an overarching factor in determining the captain.  Spain, such a powerhouse in the Davis Cup competition at the start of this century, has struggled mightily in recent years.  They were just knocked out of the World Group earlier this month by Brazil, which means they will not have the opportunity to play for the coveted trophy in 2015.  The bar could not be set any lower, nor could the chance for success.  It is a troubling setup for any new captain to walk into, and it may very well be that after seeing Alex Corretja (who was forced out) and Carlos Moya go by the wayside, the Spanish Tennis Federation would rather risk having Leon try to right the ship in what is obviously an era of rebuilding before handing the reins back to someone like a player of Ferrero’s caliber when Spain looks well on the way to once again being a dominant contender.

Of course, if Leon proves able to quickly turn Spain’s results back in the right direction, she could earn herself a long tenure in the captain’s seat.  She will have her work cut out for her, however.  The primary reason Moya resigned was that he was unable to get the top players to represent Spain, leading to their decline in the team competition.  It was a trend he did not foresee changing any time soon, and that is a scenario that is unlikely to change for Leon.  A big part of the problem is the structure of the Davis Cup competition and its place in the tennis calendar, but with some players already voicing their concern about Leon being their leader, she could find it even harder than Moya did to recruit for success.

The good news for Leon is that she is aware of the tall task that has been set before her.  She refuses to be distracted by the sexist arguments, and considering how many male coaches there are in women’s tennis, including Fed Cup, there is no reason she cannot enjoy similar success with the shoe on the other foot.  But Leon has been given a grim starting point, and it is difficult to believe that there all that many who truly believe she is poised to guide Spain to a title any time soon.  Then again, if she manages to do just that, not only will it make her success all the sweeter, but it will be a great boon for women in sports.