David Ferrer offered this Wednesday the call for Spain for the Paris Olympic Games. Marcel Granollers, Pablo Carre�o, Alejandro Davidovich, Rafa Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz will represent ‘La Armada’ at the Olympic event. The captain passed through the ‘Directo MARCA’ microphones this Thursday to analyze the keys to his decisions.
Team selection: “In the Games, the issue, especially in singles, is based on ranking issues. The closing was after Roland Garros and it was practically clear. The only doubt was Davidovich or Pedro Martí.” They were playing for the position and in the doubles I had already spoken a long time ago with both Rafa and Carlos. It was easy, they themselves wanted to play together and I consider it to be the perfect couple to get a medal. “We must forget that Marcel Granollers is number one in the world in doubles and it is true that it was not easy to tell him that our big bet in doubles was going to be Carlos and Rafa.”
Conversations with Nadal: “I was with him in Barcelona, Madrid and Roland Garros. The topic of the Olympics was clear, there was not much to talk about. The question was to see how he was feeling, how he faced the tournaments and the evolution �n of his physical state”.
Nadal’s aspirations: “You always have to take him into account. He has been improving his level in each tournament he has played and the reality is that in Paris he had no luck with the draw. He had to play against Zverev, who was the most valued player. form and has come very close to winning the tournament. Rafa competed well, I am happy and sure that as he can play and win games he will be a very dangerous player.
Alcaraz arrives launched: “He has a long way to go. It is true that with what he is achieving at 21 years old, he is a player of a special category like Federer, Nadal or Djokovic. Throughout a tennis player’s career there are moments good and not so good, but in Spain we always have this habit of exaggerating… When someone wins it is like Rafa Nadal and when we don’t we change the discourse.”
Adaptation of the couple Nadal and Alcaraz: “We still don’t know if there will be the possibility of playing together before the Games. They are very good players, we have a week before training and we will surely train the doubles to see how they feel. It is true that two players so good and with so much potential it is difficult for them to understand each other. Rafa has already shown that in doubles he is a great player and Carlos has all the shots, the players who are at the top will surely have a chance to fight for a medal. doubles is because they play every week, but the good singles player prefers to reserve himself physically. When they compete in doubles, then they are always in the fight for everything.”
Would not winning a medal be a failure? “No, I think it is. It would make me feel bad because I appreciate them as people, but that’s sport and there is also a rival in front of me. I hope someone gets a medal, but if in the end they don’t get it, no I don’t think it will change anyone’s life.”
