Santiago Giraldo, who walked off the court during Colombia's Davis Cup tie against Chile, has explained his decision to local media.
The former Top 30 player, now ranked No. 150, had protested the court conditions in Chile at the beginning of the tie. In the reverse singles, he left the court while trailing by a set and 5-2, incurring a default. That gave Chile a 3-1 victory in the Zone Group I tie.
"It was getting to a point where all the injustices and abuses accumulated," said Giraldo. "To have to play on a court which posed a risk to each of us, on which it was not possible to play not thinking of the possibility of injury.
"I felt the need to defend the dignity of my country and teammates, to make obvious and show our discontent since Monday when we arrived at a location that did not offer the conditions for competition at this level ... The rules state that if the home team does not provide those, the visiting team is the winner. We did not have them."
Giraldo said he knows that "not every person understands my decision.”
But he added that “my principles ... would not allow me to stay on a court where every step was assuming a risk, where I could not show my game..."