Davis Cup Deputy Director Francisco Clavet said tournament organizers would like to have a match between Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic at the Davis Cup Finals, but admits the format of the competition makes this difficult.
The group stage of the Davis Cup Finals will take place from 13 to 18 September and will be held in four countries. Serbia and Spain will face each other because they are drawn in the same group (group B) together with Canada and South Korea.
Both Nadal and Djokovic are the highest rated players of their respective selections and cannot meet in a Davis Cup final because the highest ranked player of one team cannot play against the highest ranked player of the other.
“We would all like to have a Nadal-Djokovic, but frankly it’s difficult,” said Clavet in an interview with Marca.
Djokovic-Nadal difficult, but the Serb can draw Alcaraz
Since world number 5 Carlos Alcaraz is the second best ranked Spanish player, the likelihood of seeing Murcian and Novak Djokovic clash in the Davis Cup Finals is high in this case.
“In any case, we would like to have Carlitos Alcaraz, who is the great sensation of world tennis,” said Clavet. Spain won the inaugural Davis Cup Finals, but failed to defend the title last year as the lack of Nadal and Alcaraz was simply too difficult to fill.
The Majorcan suffered an abdominal injury at Wimbledon and withdrew from the semi-final to avoid being out for the rest of the season. “I can’t imagine winning two games and out of respect for myself I don’t want to go out and not be competitive enough,” said Nadal after a painful victory in the quarterfinals against Taylor Fritz.
“A couple of weeks ago I saw my career very different due to my foot injury. The most important thing is happiness, more than any title. I can’t risk [in] that game and stay two or three months out of competition. I am very sad and it is very hard.” But this year, with Nadal and Alcaraz both available, Spain is undoubtedly a candidate for the Davis Cup final win.
