PHOTOS/VIDEO: Rafael Nadal Pre-tournament press conference at 2017 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.

Rafa at the pre-tournament press conference: 

About Australian Open final against Roger Federer:

“We talked enough. I almost don’t forget about it.” 

About Toni Nadal’s decision:

“Surprised? Well, I talked enough about that, too, no?”

“I was a little bit sick two days, so I couldn’t practice for two days. I start to practicing yesterday for the first time,” he revealed.

“Today, I practiced again and today I have doubles (with Bernard Tomic).

“But is obvious that when you get sick you lose a little bit of the power for a couple of days. So I hope to recover myself good and feel myself ready to compete at the highest level possible.”
“I know I am playing with Guillermo Garcia or Guido Pella first round, and that’s all what I can say now,” he said.

“If the things go well, we will have time to talk about the draw.”

“I play doubles for fun and for practice a little bit, too, no? Before the singles start”.

“I supposed to play with Bernard in Brisbane. That will make sense, because his house. And for me was something that I like the idea".

“Then I said to him that I could not play there because I had to play with Marc Lopez to prepare the Davis Cup, but Marc Lopez four days or two days before the tournament start decide not to go. So was late to play with him.

“I said with him, that’s what happened. I have to play with Marc. And if we can change Brisbane for Indian Wells, will be great for me.”

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(AFP) - The introduction of best-of-three set matches in the Davis Cup would not be enough to halt the drain of top talent from the 117-year-old world tennis tournament, Rafael Nadal said on Friday.

Nadal, who helped Spain to Davis Cup titles in 2004, 2008, 2009 and 2011, said he had long urged the International Tennis Federation (ITF) to consider sweeping reforms to the venerable event.

But plans announced this week to reduce rubbers from best-of-five to best-of-three and possibly shorten ties from three to two days do not go far enough.

"In my opinion it is not about best-of-three or best-of-five," he said. "In my opinion, it's about we cannot have a Davis Cup champion every year. That devalues the competition. If the top players are not playing very, very often, then you are making something not good."

Nadal said that the ITF has too often focused on the "small picture" and was too satisfied to have a Davis Cup final featuring a big name even if top players shied away from earlier rounds because they did not dovetail with their Tour schedules.

"Davis Cup is a beautiful competition, a very emotional competition," he said. "To maintain that level of emotion, that level of quality of tennis, you need to do the things for the best players. And the best players need to feel comfortable playing every time that Davis Cup is going."

The 14-time Major winner thinks a Davis Cup champion should be crowned every three years.

"I don't mean one year Davis Cup, one year no Davis Cup," he said. "I mean, for example, two ties per year. That will be something reasonable and players will be very motivated to play Davis Cup."

Photos: Getty Images; Tennis Connected; EPA