Rafael Nadal: Next Year I Will Not Play Davis Cup, I Don’t Want To Overplay

Rafael Nadal led his Spanish team to to its fifth Davis Cup title after beating Juan Martin Del Potro and Argentina.

But because of the complexities in the pro tennis schedule, Nadal announced that next year he would not be available for Davis Cup.

“Next year I will not play,” Nadal said. “Next year is a very complex year. It’s an Olympic year. I have been, for many years, the player that competes the most. No, that’s a lie. I’m one of the players that plays the highest number of games in the year, and I don’t want to overplay. I don’t want to have an incoherent calendar. I want a coherent calendar. I have not played an event that I shouldn’t play. So next year, since it’s an Olympic year, my participation in the Davis Cup is impossible. Then we will think about the future. For the time being, let’s enjoy today. It’s not the most appropriate time to talk about the future, but of course next year I will not play the Davis Cup.

“Thank God Spain has a good level of players, and there are many good players that will replace us that play really high level tennis,” he added.

Nadal finished 2011 ranked No. 2 and even though he failed to win a title since the French Open he ends the year on a high note.

“This is a very good way of finishing the year after a long year,” said Nadal. “It’s helped me. I have been working really hard, so it’s been very good to finish the season this way, so I’m very happy. I’m very grateful to my colleagues that have helped me in this final, and I’m happy to be able to enjoy the triumph now, and that’s it. It’s going to take a very important position in my memories. I don’t know where I will put the trophy, but emotionally, sentimentally, this is something which is good for me. It’s very special. It’s unforgettable.”