MADRID, 23 Sep. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Spanish Davis Cup captain David Ferrer said on Monday that if Rafa Nadal has agreed to be in the Final 8 of the competition, which will be held in Malaga from 18 to 24 November, it is because he will be “in top condition”, as he is “very honest”, although he does not know if this competition could mean the Balearic player’s retirement.
“I know that if Rafa tells me that he wants to be in Malaga, he will be in top condition. In that respect, Rafa is very honest and wants to do well. There are still two months left; his schedule will be to play an exhibition in Saudi Arabia and he is preparing for that. He is already training on the court and that is important, and from then on we will have to be in contact with him to see if there is a possibility that he can play something before then,” said the player from Jávea after announcing the team that will participate in the Davis Cup finals.
The Alicante native explained that he had spoken with Nadal “about the Davis Cup issue so that he could be there and nothing more.” “From there, the schedule that Rafa makes until he plays the Davis Cup or until next year, is something that he has with his team and something personal for him,” he added.
Regarding a possible retirement for the Manacor native in Malaga, the Spanish captain said that it is something “very personal” and that each person retires “how they want or how they feel like it”. “I am not able to say what the ideal retirement is. In that respect, you stop doing something that you have done all your life, that you have worked on all your life and suddenly you stop doing it. As long as he is happy, I am fine,” he said.
As for whether the Balearic player will play singles or doubles, Ferrer did not clarify. “Of course Rafa can play both singles and doubles. He is a special, different player, who when he competes is capable of anything. There are two months left and I don’t know what the team will be, but of course all those who are there, except Marcel Granollers, are capable of playing singles, without a doubt,” he said.
The one who will play singles will be Carlos Alcaraz, who could play the final of the ATP Finals just two days before playing in Malaga, something that Ferrer is clear that “we have to deal with it.” “Alcaraz is a fundamental piece, but I try not to think about it. I try to be optimistic and have them fully connected. In the end, what I want is for them to do well. If Carlos only has two days and wins the Masters, I will be happy for him and his team,” he said.
“It’s not a relief. In the end I understand the player, I understand that the schedule is very tight and sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn’t. I try to do my job as best as possible, I want to win and qualify, that’s why I was hired, to bring the best players and achieve important things for Spanish tennis, but if I don’t achieve it, it doesn’t matter, it doesn’t change my life,” said Ferrer about the fact that in this edition he can count on the most talented Spanish players.
On the fact of releasing the list two months before the competition and how it can affect the players’ fitness, the captain stressed that he has “four changes” to make. “I will be at Paris-Bercy watching all the players, and if I see that a decision needs to be made, I will make it. As of today, this is my decision, in two months I may have another one, but if nothing strange happens, this will be the final list,” he confirmed.
The only player who will not be in Malaga and who played in Valencia is Pedro Martinez, with whom Ferrer spoke. “Everyone wants to be there and it is logical. I have also been a player and I understand that there are different ways of thinking about sport and of course I understand that, but Pedro is an excellent guy in that aspect,” he said.
Regarding Spain’s favouritism, the player from Jávea explained that the Davis Cup with this format “is very equal” and doubles is “very important”. “You can have two great singles players but you lose a singles and everything is very equal. We have a very good team to do important things but it will be a tough tie without a doubt. The Netherlands have very good doubles, in their singles one is 39th in the world (Tallon Griekspoor) and another 67th (Botic van de Zandschulp) who is his favourite surface on indoors, so it will be very equal for sure,” he said.
Finally, Ferrer spoke about the fact that he had avoided Italy or the United States until the final. “In the end we finished first, but without knowing that Italy or the United States were going to finish first, so sometimes there is one team in the group and then in the final phase there is another. For example, in Germany, Zverev did not play and maybe he could be there. There are two months left and many things can happen,” he concluded.