Gala Leon becomes Spain’s first female Davis Cup captain

PHUKET: The Spanish Tennis Federation have named former WTA player Gala Leon as the country’s new Davis Cup captain following Carlos Moya’s decision to step down last week.

Moya quit after five-times winners Spain were relegated from the World Group following defeat against Brazil in a playoff.

The RFET federation said in a statement on Monday that 40-year-old Leon, who quit the tour in 2004 having reached a career high 27th in the world rankings, would be the new captain.

She is Spain’s first female Davis Cup captain, prompting support from Britain’s twice grand slam champion Andy Murray who broke the mould earlier this year by deciding to employ former French player Amelie Mauresmo as his coach.

“Congrats to Gala Leon Garcia for becoming first female Spanish Davis Cup captain today… hopefully first of many,” said the Scot on Twitter.

Moya decided to stand down after less than a year in charge when Spain dropped out of the World Group for the first time in 18 years – citing the unavailability of several top players as one of the factors in his decision.

The RFET said full details of Garcia’s appointment would be disclosed on Tuesday in Seville.

— Reuters