Medina: “We were going to fight to win the Federation Cup”

– How have you been the cancellation of the Federation Cup?

– I see that the current situation is very complicated. Everything evolves day by day. The explanations that the ITF gave us is that the facility where they were going to play in Budapest, in Hungary, was occupied at the end of the year by other events and that the Finals were committed there. It is sad news because we have been working hard for two years, with four heats in a row with victory and qualification for the new final phase. We had entered a very good rhythm. We wanted to compete this year, also in the Olympic Games, and fight to win the Federation Cup. But you have to be realistic, the circumstances are very complicated, the situation is very difficult and people's lives are at stake. The first thing is health. In April of next year the circumstances will be identical, same place, same teams … We have to adapt.

– Do you think that in the case of the women's team perhaps the postponement has not gone so badly?

– The truth is that getting to evaluate that now is difficult. It is best to be positive. The players are all very excited about the Finals, they are highly motivated. We were going full blast. The year is very long, in tennis you compete week by week. The important thing is that they return to the circuit, that everything is activated again and that they feel competitive. So we can prepare it to get well to April.

– Did you already have the commitment of all the players?

– I follow them forever and during the confinement we have been talking. We have already seen it in the last two years. The players are committed and highly motivated by the Federation Cup. I am sure that in April they will be looking forward.

– Do you see Carla Suárez in those Finals despite her retirement plans?

– Hopefully, because she didn't expect her senior year to be like this. He had beautiful challenges and this situation has upset his plans. She wanted it to be a year to enjoy and play her last tournaments and it could not be. They stopped the circuit and he could not play everything that he would have been excited about. Carla is very pragmatic, she adapts very well to the circumstances and will do what the body asks. It will end where she feels most comfortable.

– Do you think that the Spanish Federation hurts more the cancellation of Davis?

– To Hispaniola and everyone. But ours was in a very good situation, with its two teams in a good position to win their competitions. That was the goal and the ambition. In that sense, knowing that you could win both the Davis Cup and the Fed Cup, what has happened is a shame. Since you don't have to compete to qualify, this is a parenthesis and you have to see it on the positive side.

– The MAPFRE League is coming soon (the women's starts in Platja D’Aro on July 12), what do you think of the initiative?

– Very good. The players have not competed since March and in the end they are many months without moving. As much as they train physically and do tennis work, the feeling of moving around the court and getting into rhythm only gives you competition, playing games. The idea of ​​the Federation to mount these tournaments so that they start to burn the adrenaline of the first games is very good. It is as if they had been injured for five months. So when they return to the professional circuit they will not feel so strange.

– Finally, do you see feasible the return of the international circuit as planned?

– Sure there is nothing, because everything evolves every 24 hours and changes a lot. In the short term, the American tour is announced, but until there is a vaccine, you have to be very careful, following the health and safety protocol of each tournament to try to gradually return to normal. People are very aware that what happened is something very important and complicated, and that the rules must be strictly followed. Tennis ensures social distance and that is very good, but the important thing is that tennis players are safe and nobody takes risks. So try to return little by little to normality.