Federer And Nadal Say Davis Cup Has Lost It's Value

Back in October Nadal lamented on how the Davis Cup has lost its value

I don"t know how important it is to win the Davis Cup now, considering how the best players didn"t play. To me, Davis Cup has lost the value it used to have before" said Rafael to the media in Switzerland.

http://www.tennisworldusa.org/Rafael-Nadal-Roger-Federer-and-I-Respect-Each-Other-A-Lot-but-We-Are-Not-Friends-articolo20870.html

Now his rival Federer has also said that he shares this opinion.

"Davis Cup is not what it used to be anymore in my opinion," he said.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/tennis/2014/11/19/roger-federer-davis-cup-switzerland/19279607/

I suppose what they say is true. Isn't it?

I personally love the Davis Cup. It's such a fun tournament, and I love the fact it's got a partisan home stadium and the atmosphere it creates.

Federer and Nadal say they've lost value... maybe they're right in the respect all the top players don't always enter, but I still see it as very prestigious.
The schedule should be changed to give it more importance, which ensures more top players play.

In fact I think Davis Cup should be mandatory, but there needs to be a few changes in the schedule.

^ I don't think it should be mandatory. Players would be fools to vote for more mandatory play.

hawkeye wrote:^ I don't think it should be mandatory. Players would be fools to vote for more mandatory play.

In exchange I think players should have reductions in mandatory tournaments elsewhere, i.e. they don't have to play ATP500s.

I also don't think the Davis Cup should carry ranking points

hawkeye wrote:I also don't think the Davis Cup should carry ranking points

Giving it ranking points is good motivation for players to compete.

This Davis Cup final is the most anticipated one I can remember.

Lots of media coverage, and not just in the traditional tennis media.

It's all over the news. Even on Al Jazeera where I saw a report yesterday on Federer and whether or not he would be fit for the final.

The renewed interest is basically because of one man - no partisanship, just the way it is.

So I guess in a sense that resonates with what Nadal is saying about the best players needing to play to add more value to the competition.

If we had a year where all the top players played, the tournament really could gain much more value and coverage as well.

This final is the first in a while where either Fed/Nadal are playing and we genuinely don't know what the result is going to be.
Imagine if we had Spain vs Serbia, Serbia vs Switzerland, or Spain vs Switzerland- it would be absolutely massive.

I guess the question is then: What did it used to be?

Nadal has not played DC this year. Does it mean he will only play if Spain met Switzerland or Serbia?

Far as I am aware the top players today play in it.

If I read correctly the Nadal's are embroiled in a bit of a Sexism war on the Davis Cup front. Combined with his injuries, might not see him lace up for The Armada for a while

I thought Toni said that Rafa would play under the new DC captain? Went as far to say he would introduce the pair

So it was all a big lie and a camouflage to fool the French players eh ?



" I am just happy we can give everyone in our country a historic moment."

Lol Jubba...

Winning DC has never been anywhere near the slams or WTF. Nadal and Sampras both won 4 DCs, not 1, and yet no-one talks about those. Anyway, a nice moment for Federer...heightened by it probably being his last big achievement in tennis. I suspect his tears were also in recognition of that too.

lydian wrote:Lol Jubba...

Winning DC has never been anywhere near the slams or WTF. Nadal and Sampras both won 4 DCs, not 1, and yet no-one talks about those.

Not even Sampras!

Pete basically single handedly won the 1995 davis cup final for the US. It was in Russia and it was apparently the slowest clay court ever conceived. He won both his singles rubbers, completely collapsing after the match point of one of them. His reward was when he got home... noone gave a c*ap. He never really played it properly again.

In fact that was probably around the time that DC started to lose its gilt edge

lydian wrote:Lol Jubba...

Winning DC has never been anywhere near the slams or WTF. Nadal and Sampras both won 4 DCs, not 1, and yet no-one talks about those. Anyway, a nice moment for Federer...heightened by it probably being his last big achievement in tennis. I suspect his tears were also in recognition of that too.

Contradicted yourself in your own post there, lydian

lydian wrote:Lol Jubba...

Winning DC has never been anywhere near the slams or WTF. Nadal and Sampras both won 4 DCs, not 1, and yet no-one talks about those. Anyway, a nice moment for Federer...heightened by it probably being his last big achievement in tennis. I suspect his tears were also in recognition of that too.

Careful now, you've made similar predictions about Federer's imminent demise in the past and have been proven wrong.

They have always demoted DC as a side show, but turn up and play as if their country is at war.

Personally, for us British, until we get good at it, its always going to be boring and pointless. Yawn. Rather cynical I know, but there are plenty of people out there who think DC is brilliant and pay to watch it live.

Probably explains the recent dip in out patient numbers in psychology units. (sorry if thats offended anyone, I'm not a mentaphobic)

Some moan about DC, some of the top players don't play it, some fans are not interested in it. But it still seems to mean a lot, if the massive attendances at Lille and the way their triumph was met by the Swiss are anything to go by.

I've never seen the point, but then I played tennis because I don't like playing in a team.

emancipator wrote:

lydian wrote:Lol Jubba...

Winning DC has never been anywhere near the slams or WTF. Nadal and Sampras both won 4 DCs, not 1, and yet no-one talks about those. Anyway, a nice moment for Federer...heightened by it probably being his last big achievement in tennis. I suspect his tears were also in recognition of that too.

Careful now, you've made similar predictions about Federer's imminent demise in the past and have been proven wrong.

Federer's still got the level, but has he still got the consistency and the ability to last 2 weeks of tennis? He had cakewalk draws in Wimby up to the final, and all the way into the US open, but he fell short physically, especially in the latter case. If his backs aggravated by one week of 3 set tennis, then he had better manage himself very carefully

emancipator wrote:

lydian wrote:Lol Jubba...

Winning DC has never been anywhere near the slams or WTF. Nadal and Sampras both won 4 DCs, not 1, and yet no-one talks about those. Anyway, a nice moment for Federer...heightened by it probably being his last big achievement in tennis. I suspect his tears were also in recognition of that too.

Careful now, you've made similar predictions about Federer's imminent demise in the past and have been proven wrong.

Yes writing off Federer is dangerous, frankly I think next year he has a great chance of adding to his slam tally and I wouldn't be surprised if he finished the year as the highest ranked player, or just behind Djokovic again.

Is that the reason Fed aimed hard for a davis cup win?

It Must Be Love wrote:

emancipator wrote:

lydian wrote:Lol Jubba...

Winning DC has never been anywhere near the slams or WTF. Nadal and Sampras both won 4 DCs, not 1, and yet no-one talks about those. Anyway, a nice moment for Federer...heightened by it probably being his last big achievement in tennis. I suspect his tears were also in recognition of that too.

Careful now, you've made similar predictions about Federer's imminent demise in the past and have been proven wrong.

Yes writing off Federer is dangerous, frankly I think next year he has a great chance of adding to his slam tally and I wouldn't be surprised if he finished the year as the highest ranked player, or just behind Djokovic again.

Hence I used the word "probably"
In the balance of probabilities Fed is unlikely to win another slam, WTF or DC, especially if Nadal is around.