By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Friday, September 1, 2023
NEW YORK—The Spanish flag has flown high in Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal have combined to capture three of the last six US Open championships.
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Could the Grand Slam champions reunite to form a Spanish superstar squad in Davis Cup this season?
That's the hope.
Davis Cup Finals tournament director Feliciano Lopez joined U.S. Davis Cup captain Bob Bryan and ITF chief David Haggerty for a Davis Cup press conference at the US Open today.
Lopez, Nadal's long-time friend and sometime doubles partner, was asked about the prospect of a Spanish dream team led by Alcaraz and Nadal. Lopez said he spoke to Nadal recently and the king of clay reports rehab is going well though "it's too early" to say if Nadal will play Davis Cup.
"You should be asking this question to David Ferrer, to our captain, because it would be a dream for him to have Rafa and Carlos playing together for Spain," Lopez told the media. "Well, I think Rafa is now going through a rehab process. I think he's doing well.
"I was talking to him just recently. He told me everything is going well. But I don't really know if he's planning to play the Davis Cup. If this is going to happen, I'll be super happy because that will be a dream for David as a captain and for us as a nation to see Carlos and Rafa together playing for Spain. It would be amazing.
"I think it's too early to say, honestly. I just wish Rafa a speedy recovery. I hope Carlos also will be able to play in Valencia. The most important thing is that Spain will qualify for the Final 8 in Malaga."
The 37-year-old Nadal continues his recovery from left hip surgery he underwent in June. Nadal, who said he was facing about a five-month recovery, announced he aims to play a farewell season in 2024 and knows the career clock is ticking.
"I don't know what can happen in the future. As everybody knows, I am getting old," Nadal said with a wry smile in Turin last fall. "Even if I would like to be everywhere, I can't, I simply cannot."
Last fall, Nadal hinted he'd like to represent Spain in one more Davis Cup tie. Citing his devotion to the international team competition, Nadal shared he would "love to say good-bye from that beautiful competition."
"Let's see if I'm able to play again the Davis Cup one day. I am not sure about it," Nadal told the media in Turin. "Of course, in my mind, [I] would love to say good-bye from that beautiful competition playing. Let's see what can happen in the future."
Toni Nadal, Rafa's uncle and original coach, has long cited Alcaraz as the eventual successor to the Big 3.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafa Nadal says he's an Alcaraz fan too.
"Well, he's playing very aggressive. He has a lot of potential," Nadal said of Alcaraz last spring. "He's a young and good guy, so, I mean, he already has a great level of tennis today, but I really believe that he gonna be a fantastic player in the near future, no?
"Yeah, I wish him all the very best. I mean, like Spanish player and like in Spanish fan, I really believe that we need somebody like him, and it's great to have him here."
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