Indonesia Prioritizes Youth Development in Davis Cup Tie Against Romania

The Indonesian Tennis Association (Pelti) has included a number of young players in the squad for the September 18-19 encounter at the Gelora Bung Karno Tennis Stadium in Central Jakarta as part of its long-term player development strategy.

"We are preparing for player development. This is the best opportunity for our juniors," Pelti Secretary General Andi Fajar said on Monday, September 14, 2026, as quoted by Antara.

According to Andi, Pelti has selected junior players Refalentino Ali Da Costa and Ethan David Zapp to gain valuable experience in the Davis Cup. Although both are still eligible for junior competition, they already hold ATP rankings and have competed in senior-level tournaments.

"Falen and Zapp are still juniors, but they already have ATP rankings. Falen was the runner-up at the M15 Amman Cup in Bali, which is an outstanding achievement," Andi said.

He described the Davis Cup as an important stage for the two young players to test their abilities and gain experience against opponents with significantly higher world rankings.

The decision to field younger players means experienced names such as Muhammad Rifqi Fitriadi and Christopher Rungkat were left out of the squad. Both are being prepared for the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.

Andi said the tight schedule between the Davis Cup and the Asian Games influenced the decision, with the tennis team expected to depart for Japan only a few days after the Davis Cup concludes.

"We are concerned about injuries and other factors. The gap between the two events is very short, and we have concerns about recovery," he said.

Indonesia is expected to face a tough challenge against Romania, whose lineup includes players ranked around the ATP top 300. However, Andi emphasized that match results are not the sole measure of success for Indonesia's participation in the competition.

Instead, Pelti's current priority is to strengthen the national player pipeline by giving young talents opportunities to compete on the international stage.

Andi acknowledged that entrusting younger players with a major assignment is a bold decision, particularly amid expectations for immediate results.

"The most important thing is that we want to seriously invest in developing the next generation of Indonesian tennis players. We will see the outcome later. Hopefully the players stay fit and can deliver their best performances," he concluded.

Indonesia will host Romania in the Davis Cup World Group II tie at the Gelora Bung Karno Tennis Stadium in Jakarta on September 18-19. ***