As France face Hungary in Davis Cup qualifying on Friday and Saturday, captain Sébastien Grosjean has decided to call on a fifth man, in the person of Ugo Humbert.
On January 6, the French Tennis Federation announced that Benjamin Bonzi, Adrian Mannarino, Arthur Rinderknech and Nicolas Mahut were selected for the Davis Cup qualifying match in Hungary on February 3 and 4. This Monday, the day of departure for Tatabánya (between Budapest and Györ), the captain of the France team announced that a fifth man was called in as reinforcements, as the regulations allow him, and it is Ugo Humbert . The 24-year-old Messin, 86th in the world, had been a training partner in Madrid during the 2019 finals, but he will officially honor his very first selection this week. He thus becomes the 92nd French player in the Davis Cup.
Humbert moved up the rankings
Ugo Humbert is thus rewarded for his good last months. Falling back to 157th in the world in July 2022, he scoured the Challenger circuit to move up the rankings (four semi-finals and a victory in Rennes), which allowed him to finish the season 88th. Beaten in qualifying in Adelaide then in the first round in Auckland, he picked up his first wins of 2023 at the Australian Open, where he reached the third round beating Richard Gasquet and Denis Kudla, before losing to Holger Rune. Not really recovered from jet lag, he was eliminated last week in the first round of a Challenger in Belgium.
Humbert can claim a place in singles
In Hungary, Benjamin Bonzi, the highest ranked French player (45th), seems favorite for a place in singles and doubles, he who played a few weeks ago the end of the ATP tournament in Pune in singles, then the quarter-finals of the Australian Open in doubles with Arthur Rinderknech. But Ugo Humbert can claim a place for the second single, since neither Mannarino nor Rinderknech managed a fantastic start to the season. Anyway, France will start as favorites for this meeting, against the Hungarians who will be able to count above all on Marton Fucscovics (71st)the other players being ranked above 160th place in singles and 400th in doubles.
