Rafael Nadal said that he will play in the Davis Cup as long as he is not injured.GETTY IMAGES
Barcelona player Gerard Piqué is "not worried" about the possible absence of some top players in the revamped Davis Cup, "especially since" Rafael Nadal said that he will play in the new-look competition when it debuts next year, according to Tales Azzoni of the AP. Piqué, who "spearheads the company" behind the new format of the Davis Cup, said on Wednesday that Nadal "told him he will play as long as he is not injured." Piqué: "If the No. 1 in the world is playing, that's more than enough. Rafa is very positive about this event, especially because it is taking place in Madrid." Piqué said that he "knows it will not be easy" to have all top-ranked players participating. He added, "This is a team event, so it's impossible to have all the top players involved. Some teams won't qualify, not everybody will be able to play anyway. Of course we would like to have the top players, but we want to focus on the teams." Players like Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer have "already hinted" they do not intend to play. Piqué said that he did not expect Federer to be playing, noting the Swiss veteran has "limited his tournament schedule" in recent years and might not "have the legs" to play in the Davis Cup again. The footballer said that he "still hoped to convince Djokovic, though" (AP, 10/17).
