United Cup: Rafael Nadal criticizes the format
Rafael Nadal has called for changes to the United Cup mode after the Spanish team's exit.
by Nikolaus Fink
last edit: Jan 04, 2023, 05:22 pm
The semi-finalists of the United Cup have been known since Wednesday. The last duel of the City Finals in Perth between Greece and Croatia could not have been more exciting , as Maria Sakkari and Stefanos Tsitsipas only prevailed in the all-important mixed doubles against Petra Martic and Borna Gojo .
However, the first major highlight of the United Cup should not hide the fact that the newly created team competition undoubtedly has a lot of room for improvement. The mixed doubles - actually something like the unique selling point - was given far too little importance, and in the first days of the new season there were a few matches without any sporting value.
Spain, Australia and the Battle for the Golden Pineapple
The best example of this is the duel between Spain and Australia, in which the two teams colloquially only fought for the Golden Pineapple after Great Britain qualified early. This fact also caused dissatisfaction with superstar Rafael Nadal. "The fact that we play for free," said the Mallorcan, wasn't so great.
"I really believe that in a group of three, the loser of the first game has to play against the team that hasn't played yet. Because that makes the competition much more interesting," continued Nadal. "All games should have a purpose. That's the point that I think needs to be improved for the future."
Nadal: "The idea is great"
However, Nadal can gain a lot from the basic idea of the United Cup. "The competition is great, the idea is great," said the 22-time Grand Slam winner, who lost a set lead against both Cameron Norrie and Alex de Minaur.
Despite his two defeats, Nadal was not concerned before the Australian Open, which begins on January 16: "I have an important part that I need to improve, but I think I can do it. I was very close here, two great ones to beat players." Nadal starts in Melbourne as the defending champion.