Emotional crossroads force Ferrer to make toughest decision yet regarding Nadal | Relief

Malaga.- Since taking over as Davis Cup Captain in December 2022 David Ferrer I have never encountered such a difficult situation. like someone who lived through those days in Malaga. He was to determine Rafael Nadal’s status in the tournament after it ended. No more, no less.

During these two years in power, the former Valencian tennis player has always behaved the same way. Two or even three days before each draw, the starting lineup was already determined. but this time in Malaga he made his final decision only the night before. I had a lot of doubts. I was at an emotional crossroads.

Ferru It was clear to me that Carlos Alcaraz was number one on the team and Marcel Granollers was a regular in the doubles. Hence the combinations abound: other singles could be for Nadal or Roberto Bautista, while a number of possibilities also open up for the Granollers pairing. This was the next step he took. After training on Sunday, two days before the quarter-final series against the Netherlands, the captain decided that The man who will pair with Granollers will be Alcaraz. There’s only one unknown left: single-player games. Nadal or Bautista.

Until then Training showed that Bautista was better than Nadal. The Spaniard has not competed since August and lost sets played in training. But Bautista looked fine. So they arrived at practice on Monday, the last day before the competition, and there Nadal raised the level in the hour he spent on the court with Alcaraz. on the other side of the highway.

Conversations with Nadal

Choosing Nadal was a big risk: If they lose, Spain will be on the verge of elimination, and if they come back, it will leave many doubts about Friday’s semi-final. But not choosing him would be a huge blow for the Balearic Islands. Quit your last professional tournament without taking the court? That would be a huge burden for Ferrer, no matter how friendly his relationship with Nadal is and no matter how much the 14-time Roland Garros champion has told him in previous weeks to choose with his head rather than his heart. .

Ferrer was once a rival, now a captain, and always a friend, and he has a serious connection with Nadal. Since learning that Malaga would be the end of his journey, the former Valencian tennis player has spoken to Nadal weekly to get an update on his form and progress. During these negotiations, the Spaniard always told him not to make any decisions for him. “I’ve told David many times not to make decisions based on the fact that this is my last week as a professional tennis player. (…) I would like the team to do well and for us to have the chance to win another Davis Cup, playing or cheering from the stands,” said the former number one as soon as he arrived in Malaga.

Ferrer’s bet failed. Nadal lost to Van de Zandschulp 6-4 and 6-4, and Spain were eliminated with a loss in the doubles. “This decision is never easy because Roberto and I had other options. Everything was very smooth between Rafa and Roberto and in the end I chose Rafa. I’m the captain and I have to make decisionsFerrer said around 1am on Wednesday in Malaga. The captain has a contract with the federation for another year and there is nothing to indicate that he plans to leave his post early.

“What is internal remains internal, but this decision was not easy for the captain. In the end, I believe David brought out the player who he thought had the best chance of winning,” Nadal explained hours earlier. “I told him he didn’t need to feel pressure to let me out. There was a lot of talk over the week. I wasn’t sure if I would play because What happened could have happened. It was risky to bet on the first game.but that’s the captain’s job, he has to make decisions. “He made this decision thinking about the team, not me.”