Rafael Nadal SLAMS United Cup after shock loss to Alex De Minaur – and says one aspect of new tournament should be replaced permanently
Rafael Nadal has called for an overhaul of the developing United Cup competition as his Spanish team prepares for the second day of the dead tie against Australia.
The tournament debuted with new teams in Sydney, Perth and Brisbane this season but has proven more miss than hit with player withdrawals, a chaotic schedule and relationships that don’t count.
Undeterred, Nadal gave his opinions on the format following his three-set loss to Australian Alex de Minaur, part of a tie that meant Great Britain gave very little to progress from the group after two wins.
Rafael Nadal has urged United Cup organizers to change the format of the competition
‘Putting things into perspective [for] this competition, I found a negative point,’ said the world No.2.
‘The competition is great. The idea is great. It is not good that we are now playing for nothing.
‘This is the first year of this competition, so that’s the kind of thing we need to fix, improve, and make it more interesting for everyone.’
Nadal said for starters, the loser of the first tie must play the team without a match so there is more on the line.
The Spaniard lost in three sets to Alex De Minaur on Monday night in Sydney
Spain did not progress in the competition after finding themselves 3-1 down to Great Britain, meaning the final mixed doubles and then five matches against Australia were largely meaningless.
Nadal subsequently skipped the mixed doubles against Great Britain but said he would play if it meant getting a point that could help the cause if the Australia tie was a live one.
Similarly, the US qualified for the final of the Sydney leg after winning a match against Germany on Monday and eventually took a 2-0 lead in their tie to go with a 4-1 win over the Czech Republic.
De Minaur came back from a set down to record the biggest win of his career
Nadal says the United Cup will be more interesting if the cost of dead rubber ties is reduced after his match with De Minaur leaves nothing at stake
It gave the rest of Tuesday’s play between the sides of little consequence.
Meanwhile, Croatia are just one win away from reaching the Perth final after taking a 2-0 lead over France, with Borna Coric and Donna Vekic both enjoying straight-set wins on Monday.
Switzerland and Poland are locked at 1-1 in Brisbane; Greece and Belgium 1-1 in Perth and Italy are up 2-0 against Norway.
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