“I don’t think Rafael Nadal is dead”

Rafael Nadal 37 years old and twelve-time champion of the tournament, and Carlos Alcaraz, the best of the last two editions of the tournament, are the headliners of the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell-Trofeo Conde de Godó, which will be held at RCT Barcelona- 1899 on the 13th until next April 21.

“I am happy for the great effort that has been made. It is one of the few 500 tournaments with five ‘top ten’, which should be appreciated. We are very excited on Rafa’s part, because I know that he is training, and for on the part of Carlos, who is in a good moment and has just won Indian Wells. Of course, this gives rise to great expectations for the two to come,” explained the director and main person responsible for the relationship, David Ferrer.

He suffered as a rival Rafael Nadal, especially with Godó, but they also won Davis Cups together. The one from Xàbia is confident that Manacorí will continue to provide something to talk about when the clay arrives.

“I was with him at the exhibit of Las Vegas, I’m so excited that the dirt tour is about to start, I’m ready to take on this new challenge. I saw him well. It’s true that after that he had illnesses that he suppressed so that he wouldn’t hurt himself. But if you have to trust anyone, it’s Rafa, without a doubt. I see him happy, eager and excited. “You’re always scared when you have a disaster, but I always had a lot of confidence and faith that the gravel tour would start, in Monte Carlo, and filming would start for Barcelona.”

Ferrer nor is it believed that he may be Nadal’s last Godó. “I don’t know. Obviously with each passing year everyone gets older, but if anyone you can trust that this isn’t the last year, it’s Rafa Nadal. He’s had the ability to come back after a big injury and be the best again. I would never consider Rafa dead. If he doesn’t have physical problems, he will be with the best on land,” he assures.

And apologize to Carlos Alcaraz. “He played great tennis in Indian Wells. I’m very happy about that. You have to be calm, because he’s playing well, he’s fourth in Australia, and the alarm bells are ringing. He’s a 20-year-old player . Even when he won, he won’t be the best. of history, even if he loses he has no value. We all have to be calm because he is a special, different player. Let’s let him have a career.”

And who will win if Nadal and Alcaraz meet? “All I know is that I don’t know anything, as Descartes said. Alcaraz is very strong, but I haven’t seen Rafa compete for a long time, and I need to see him. If he’s in good shape, without injuries, it’s it will be a close match. Politically correct” , recognized Godó director and Davis Cup captain responded.

He wants that match, although “later they measure themselves better, for the tournament and for everyone. That is, they win the matches. It’s a strange thing for Rafa to play , one of the best in history, and a player as special as he is Carlos Alcarazwho being so young achieves things of the stature of Rafa, Djokovic and Federer. “It will be a good thing for the tournament.”

For him “it’s still a dream to bring them together in the Davis Cup, why not.” As captain of the Spanish team, he learned that the draw paired Spain with France, Australia and the Czech Republic, in the Valencia group in September.

“It is a group of death, so to speak, complicated. I will not make a summary of all the players, but we have very good players. Alcaraz, Davidovichmaybe Rafalet’s see how he is, Granollers, which is a top ten double, one of the best. “If they’re healthy, we can qualify.”