Rafael Nadal commits to revamped Davis Cup as inaugural finals date is confirmed

ATP Tour
Rafael Nadal celebrates

Rafael Nadal has thrown his weight behind the new Davis Cup, saying “it will always be a pleasure” to play for Spain.

It will be all change for the historic team competition next year as the International Tennis Federation has adopted the controversial changes that will see the event transformed into a weeklong, 18-team event.

Having previously announced that the inaugural tournament would take place La Caja Magica in Madrid, Spain, the ITF confirmed on Wednesday that the Davis Cup finals is to be staged from November 18-24, 2019.

And while the likes of Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic have cast doubt over their participation, Nadal is on board with Gerard Pique, the man behind the Kosmos Group, saying he will play.

“If the No. 1 in the world is playing, that’s more than enough,” he said.

Nadal himself also confirmed his commitment.

“It is great news that an event this size is hosted in Madrid,” he told Daviscup.com. “Playing Davis Cup is always something very special, and even more with the atmosphere we will all see in November, with fans from all the participating countries.

“To me, it will always be a pleasure to represent my country in this competition. I would like to thank Madrid, once more, for its commitment to tennis.”

The four semi-finalists from this year’s tournament – France, Croatia, United States and Spain – as well as wildcards Argentina and Great Britain have already been confirmed for next year’s event.

The other 12 countries will come from a home-and-away qualifying event.

More from Tennis365:

Rafael Nadal

Latest