Michael Cummo/BNP Paribas Open

Michael Cummo/BNP Paribas Open

ARTICLES:

• Nadal, Sharapova, Murray and more talk at Indian Wells roundtable (via SI.com)

Roger Federer on the state of Davis Cup: “I think it’s so obvious that there’s things not working.” … Rafael Nadal did not mince words when it came to the ITF’s management of Davis Cup, which does not encourage top players to commit to the competition every year: “Davis Cup is a historic competition in our sport and it is important to save these important competitions. And the way Davis Cup is moving, the only thing ITF is doing is every time the Davis Cup has less value…“

• Federer, Nadal start Masters 1000 with doubts about Davis Cup format (via dpa-international.com)

“At the end, the ITF lies to fans and everybody. They would say last year was great, Federer (and Switzerland) won. But I didn’t play, Novak Djokovic didn’t play, a lot of important players did not compete,” he added. “But at the end they can say everything is fine, since Switzerland played France in the final. That’s just a lie for everybody. It doesn’t change that the thing is not working well. In my opinion, the ITF has lost a big opportunity to make things better and create a better competition.”

• Nadal Marvels At Big Four Success (via ATP World Tour)

“Novak [Djokovic], Andy [Murray], Roger [Federer], myself…it’s something special. It’s something that is finishing. I don’t know if [it will happen] in one, two, three, four years, but for everybody it finishes. Hopefully we created a good example for the next generations.” … “When I was a kid, I didn’t feel that pressure from my family,” said the 28 year old.

• In With the Old (via tennis.com)

Rafael Nadal’s case may be the most interesting of the Big 4’s at the moment. Indian Wells has traditionally served as a bellwether event for him; it’s a place he loves, and one where he has, in the past, kicked into a higher gear. … The three seeds in Rafa’s half of this section are Gilles Simon, Richard Gasquet, and Jeremy Chardy—Nadal’s combined record against those Frenchman is 20-1.

• Indian Wells preview: Will Federer and Djokovic contest title again? (via The Sport Review)

After a slow start to the season as he worked his way back to fitness from injury and appendicitis, Nadal began to find his confidence on his beloved clay in South America, and arrived in Indian Wells with the Buenos Aires title. But he has beaten only one top-20 player this year, Anderson in Australia, so this will be an important test for the state of the former champion’s game.

• Rafa Nadal: “No entiendo los pitos del Bernabéu” (via Mundo Deportivo)

Explica Rafa que “no es que los jugadores tuvieran una mala actitud ni nada de eso. Había tensión y había nervios por unos partidos que se llega con una mala dinámica y, al fin y al cabo, como deportista entiendo lo que es la sensación, y más nervioso pone cuando sientes que tu público te está pitando durante el partido”.

PHOTOS: Rafael Nadal Attends Indian Wells Media Day

AUDIO: Nadal, en ‘El Larguero’: ‘Nadie está para siempre en los altares’

VIDEOS:

• Indian Wells 2015 Media Day (via ATP World Tour)
• Indian Wells 2015: An Interview with Rafael Nadal
• Rafael Nadal acude a Indian Wells a por su primer gran titulo de la temporada (via EFE)
• Rafael Nadal practicing in Indian Wells (via Hassan El-Kara)
• Rafael Nadal Training | Indian Wells 2015 (via Top Tennis Training)
• Ivanovic, Nadal, Sharapova, Wozniacki and Federer at Media Day in Indian Wells (via Ana Ivanovic)