Nadal Favors Davis Cup Every Two Years

Written by: Staff on 27th December 2011

Nadal Favors Davis Cup Every Two Years |

Rafael Nadal has helped lead Spain to three Davis Cup titles since 2004, but says he’s now retired from the competition and is tired of talking about the political issues that is associated with it. The world No. 2 told El Pais he no longer has a “pulse” when it comes to playing Davis Cup and said that his attempts at speaking to the International Tennis Federation about it have proved fruitless.

Nadal is now advocating having the Davis Cup final played every two years.

“I told them ‘We’re committing suicide,’” Nadal told El Pais. “It’s the truth, and I’m not saying that for my personal good. The reality is that things are bad and are not favoring a special competition. There are no efforts to improve it and I don’t understand why. It’s not just a matter of money. Why not make a Davis [Cup] that lasts two years? Two ties the first year, two the second. Because there is no interest in doing it financially. A competition, when it’s so many years in a row, loses a tad of value. If you do not compete with the best [players], it loses value. That’s what the [ITF] is promoting, and does not realize it.”

Nadal, who has also been heavily critical of the length of the ATP calendar, warned tennis authorities that they are taking a risk with the sport by not instituting substantial changes.

“It has been demonstrated: when there are drastic changes in the ranking, people lose interest,” said the Spaniard, who is the vice president of the ATP Player’s Council. Federer, Murray, Djokovic and I, in recent years, we’ve been there every time. It creates interest, because it creates a rivalry, the feeling that these matches are special. People get hooked on something that has become a tradition. It has no logic.”

Topics: Rafael Nadal