Stan Smith reflects on biggest Davis Cup challenges

Argentina is getting ready to face Croatia in the Davis Cup final in Zagreb, and if anyone knows how the traveling Argentines are feeling, it’s Hall of Famer Stan Smith.

“The Davis Cup is really like the Olympics for a tennis player,” Smith said. “I remember my first experience was as a doubles team back in 1968…There’s a real pride that you’re playing for the country and representing how many millions of people.”

Smith has been a part of eight winning United States Davis Cup teams, including a five-year streak from 1968-72. The two-time Grand Slam champion turned became a Davis Cup legend, himself clinching the trophy six times, with the 1972 final standing out the most in his memory.

“In 1972, we played all of our matches outside the United States which was a tremendous challenge,” Smith said. “There’s certainly a home and away advantage just like you see in other sports, football, basketball and baseball.”

It was also the year the format was changed from a challenge round—where the defending champion had to win just one tie (a “challenge”) to retain the title—to what it is today, four rounds played around the globe, all year long.

The United States team, comprised of Smith, Erik Van Dillen and Tom Gorman, traveled to Bucharest in October for a showdown with the fiery Romanian champions Illie Nastase and Ion Tiriac in front of a rowdy home crowd.

“The linesmen at the time when I was playing were from the home country and sometimes they were a bit biased,” Smith said. “The referees from the home country which sometimes was put in the hot seat and it was difficult to control the situation with the linesmen and players. So I have a lot of challenging experiences playing Davis Cup particularly outside the United States.”

Smith and his team overcame these challenges on red clay in Bucharest. Smith won the first singles rubber over Nastase, and teamed up with Van Dillen to put the United States up 2-1. Smith then clinched the victory with a memorable five-set win over Tiriac.

The former No. 1 also secured Davis Cup trophies for his country while playing important doubles matches.

“Doubles sometimes will be the critical match,” Smith said. “The first year in 1968, I was serving in the doubles match to clinch the match,and in 1969 I think I was serving the [third] match to clinch it.

“I just happened to be serving for the match to win the Davis Cup.”

He was part of the clinching rubber in 1968, ’69, ’70, ’71, ’72 and ’79, and four of those were doubles.

If the teams playing this weekend can learn anything from Smith, it’s to focus on the team, something that’s unusual for the fiercely individual sport.

“The team thing really affects you,” Smith said. “You don’t want to let them down. It’s not just the country. It gets a little more personal at the point. Your result is as a team, so you wanna see the other guy win.”