WIMBLEDON, ENGLAND (AP) - Rafael Nadal will skip Spain’s Davis Cup quarterfinal against the United States in July, blaming his decision on the ITF for poor scheduling.
The six-time French Open champion harshly criticized the ITF after beating Juan Martin del Potro in the fourth round at Wimbledon on Monday, saying the body is too inflexible and should try to find ways to make it easier for top players to compete in the Davis Cup.
“The problem is the ITF, my opinion. They don’t want to change nothing,” Nadal said. “And some thing they are doing bad, because the best players of the world, a lot of times we are not able to play (Davis Cup). … They have to think what’s going on, no? But they don’t think nothing. They keep (making) money and that’s it.”
Nadal sustained a foot injury in his match against Del Potro, but had already decided not to play against the United States, saying he needed a rest of at least 15-20 days after Wimbledon to prepare for the second half of the season and the U.S. Open, one of his priorities.
“I cannot be in every place. I cannot be competitive every week of the year,” Nadal said. “My body needs to rest. … Seriously, it’s not possible be No. 1 or No. 2 playing Davis Cup every tie, be in all the places, be competitive in all the tournaments. … So for that reason I cannot be there. For me it’s tough. But for the ITF, doesn’t matter.”
Spain captain Albert Costa picked his team Monday with David Ferrer, Fernando Verdasco, Feliciano Lopez and Marcel Granollers representing the four-time champions in Austin, Texas, from July 8-10.
Nadal won both of his singles matches in Spain’s 4-1 first-round victory at Belgium in March.
The U.S. Open runs from Aug. 29-Sept. 11.
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