He had the responsibility of deciding whether Rafael Nadal retired from tennis with one last match or cheering from the stands. He accepted almost more with his heart than with his head: it would be the Balearic Islands who would open the tie against the Netherlands. Therefore, he was the one who lived closest to Nadal’s last minutes as a tennis player, he gave him the last encouragement, the last advice, he accompanied him in his last shots. And although he had to act as captain, with the goal of winning the seventh Davis Cup for Spain, David Ferrer (Jávea, 42 years old) also felt on his skin the goodbye of a legend, and of a friend. A few hours later, he attended ABC to compile a unique night. -Have you slept? -Little. I have slept little. Many things happened. First the nerves, then the defeat and finally the farewell to a friend. It wasn’t the farewell we wanted. We wanted to try to make it until Sunday. But things are like that, this is sport. – It was all too fast, right? A little cold, unsentimental.-Yes, because when you lose, it makes you sad. Someone as important in sports as Rafa, on a Tuesday, at one in the morning. It was the circumstances, although it doesn’t change anything. Regardless of whether it is more emotional or less, faster or not, he is sure that next year at the Grand Slams, Roland Garros, big tournaments, he will surely have other farewells where people will be able to follow him more. -How was his farewell? later in the locker room? -I haven’t spoken to Rafa, I’ve said goodbye to his coach and the rest of the team. I’ll call him tomorrow and we’ll talk this week. Now there are many things and we have a lot of confidence. Let’s keep in touch. -Was it more difficult to manage everything because it was Nadal’s farewell? -It wasn’t difficult. The better players you have is always the better. Rafa prepared himself as best he could. He had trained well. There was that doubt with Roberto and Rafa, but Rafa was prepared. He competed and it didn’t happen. It was a fast track, the other one arrived with more games, with rhythm. Rafa has competed very little in recent months and training is not the same as competing. -Nadal put the responsibility of the election on you. -Yes, that’s fine. It’s the truth. The captain is the one who has to make decisions and I don’t regret it at all. In retrospect everything is very easy, but I would do it again. Obviously, knowing the result, you would change certain things, tactics. But I was confident that it was the best team. This is so. This is what the captain is for. To make decisions and accept that sometimes they turn out well and sometimes they don’t. Related News Standard tennis If Nadal through his 50 most famous phrases Miguel Zarza The Balearic Islands’ legacy is not only made up of deeds and points, but also by his reflections on the sport that he loves-How did he experience it from the bench?-I had faith that we were going to get him out. And in the doubles I also had confidence that we were better. The level of the Netherlands surprised me a lot, especially Koolhof. They played a great game. The doubles is decided by points that could have changed the dynamics. It wasn’t like that, and that’s it. We stayed like that, like a jug of cold water. -What tennis starts now? -A new generation begins. It will be difficult to replace, but we have Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, it will be attractive for tennis, for sure. It is always said that after great players there will be a great void, but then there never is. Tennis is a sport that is at the top of the world, with many followers and we are lucky that one that is followed worldwide is Alcaraz. So for us it continues to evolve. Rafa has left the path, he has left the example and now Carlos is the one who can be most similar to him in his tennis career. -And what void does he leave in you? -More than void, it is that it has been living with him all your life. . He is a friend. And I wanted it to be the best possible farewell for him because of the appreciation I have for him and for what he has meant to tennis. But I know he will be happy. You have many concerns in life, a new stage begins. He is very stable with his family and has things that he likes and that he is passionate about and that is never easy after finishing a tennis career with so much success. -What moments from your relationship with Nadal would you keep? -Many. The Davis Cups when we played together. And see the end of his career; watch the last game at your side. Having been the closest to his last game. Many things that I experienced in the chair during the meeting, and memories that I keep for myself. -They played 32 times (26 wins for the Balearic Islands). What was it like facing him on a court? -He was a rock. You knew you had to play at the highest level. But it is also true that when it was your turn it was in the final rounds, that means you had a good tournament. But yes, in the Conde de Godó finals, which I was never able to win, and I played four against him. That really hurt me a lot. At Roland Garros, after all, he was a very favorite and I had no choice. But when you played with him you had to play at your highest level and he had doubts. And Rafa had few doubts, especially when he reached the final rounds. -Beyond values and emotions, what tennis legacy does Nadal leave? -Above all, he has left the constant evolution, of improving his tennis, of resilience, mentally of not never come down. That’s really complicated. Be a rock at all times. And above all his ambition, his hunger to win. I think he has been the player who has had the most ambition when it comes to competing. -What is it about tennis that no one leaves completely? -In the end it is what we have always done, and it is what we like. In a way we are all still linked. You’ve been doing it since you were 8 years old. In that sense, find a job that you like and you will never work. I think that’s what we feel. It’s what you know how to do. And the excitement of seeing new generations, of how they are evolving, of expressing your experience to young players, is something beautiful.
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