“Why not? I might enjoy it, or not” : Rafael Nadal does not rule out being Davis Cup captain

Rafael Nadal played his last professional match at the Davis Cup last year, closing the curtains on a two-decade long tennis career. The Spaniard won almost everything there is in world tennis, including 22 Grand Slam titles.

Rafael Nadal has previously expressed his interest in coaching the Davis Cup team. The Spaniard recently stated that he would not rule out this scenario, as he believes it could be an interesting opportunity to lead the team.

Rafael Nadal also stated that he has more responsibilities at home now, given that him and Maria have been blessed with two sons in the last four years. He stated that at the moment, he is not thinking about taking up a role as a coach for the Davis Cup team, but something he could consider later in his life.

“I’ve always had the utmost respect for what the future may bring, because what you feel today isn’t what you’ll feel after some time. Life changes, especially when you have young children. You see life one way, a few years pass, and it changes. Traveling continuously? I don’t see it. Being a coach would imply that, and right now it doesn’t fit my life. Being Davis Cup captain someday? Why not? I might enjoy it, or not. I’ve just retired. It’s far too early to be thinking about that. I respect life’s processes and adaptation. Right now, it’s not the time to think about it,” said Nadal.

Rafael Nadal was also asked if he identifies his game more with Carlos Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner. The Spaniard said that Alcaraz is someone who makes more mistakes on court, and is a lot more scattered as compared to the Italian. However, he believes that Sinner is more tactical, and loses rarely on the tour.

Nadal also stated that it was surprising to see Carlos Alcaraz winning so often, and winning the bigger titles given his game has some extremes. The Spaniard also stated that the six-time Slam winner has an ability to raise his bar, and play some spectacular tennis, at a level which most tennis players cannot match.

“I don’t identify with either. They’re different players from what I was. I think Carlos is more random. He makes more errors, hits more spectacular shots, sometimes doesn’t have such a defined game pattern, which makes him unpredictable and fun for spectators. Jannik is more methodical, focused, with a more defined pattern, and he keeps adding things little by little,” Nadal said.

“That’s why he’s so solid and loses very few matches. Sometimes Carlos seems more scattered, but when you look at the results, he’s had an incredibly consistent and solid year in all the big tournaments. That’s why it makes me laugh when I hear that he’s scattered. The results say the opposite. That’s my view,” Nadal continued.

There is evidence to Nadal’s statements given how the results have panned out this year. The Spaniard has beaten Sinner in two of the three Slam finals they have contested in, and has often gotten the better of him in ATP tournaments.