Wayne Ferreira – Davis Cup Idols

Wayne Ferreira looks back at his Davis Cup playing days when he represented South Africa with passion and commitment. This is part of the ITF’s Davis Cup Idols video series, which features former players talking about their experiences and memories of the competition.

Having made his debut in 1992, Ferreira went on to play 26 ties during a Davis Cup career spanning 13 years. He compiled an impressive 41-18 win-loss ratio – still a South African record for the most rubbers won – and led the nation to the World Group quarterfinals for three straight years in the mid-1990s. The former world No. 6 was also a two-time Australian Open semifinalist and competed in 56 successive Grand Slams, which remains the longest streak in the history of the men’s game.

“I always thought Davis Cup was great because of that team thing,” said Ferreira. “It’s nice to be able to watch a match and have a feeling for it because even though you’re not playing it has value for you. We had such a good relationship, all the South African guys. So for us to be able to travel together for the same purpose, spend time together and work together as a team it was a really special occasion for us. We all wanted to be on the team. We always fought hard, we had a great time and the teamwork was really good. We always loved the Davis Cup weeks.”

Watch the interview with Ferreira at the official Davis Cup website: DavisCup.com