Rafa Nadal says new Davis Cup proposals do not go far enough

Rafael Nadal says the proposed changes to the Davis Cup may not be enough to tempt the game's leading talent back to the competition.

The 14-time Grand Slam singles champion believes the Davis Cup should not be an annual event and suggested it should be contested over two seasons - or longer.

Earlier this week, the International Tennis Federation announced plans to reduce matches from best of five sets to three, while staging fixtures over two days instead of three.

The proposal is likely to be ratified later this year but the 30-year-old Spaniard says the changes do not go far enough.

Nadal has played in three Davis Cup finals, the first as a teenager in 2004 when he beat American Andy Roddick, but is not impressed by the ITF's proposition.

He explained: "In my opinion it is not about best-of-three or best-of-five. 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 often, then you are making something not good.

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"Davis Cup is a beautiful competition, a very emotional competition. 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.

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

If the top players are not playing very, very often, then you are making something not good.

"You know, you finish Davis Cup, last tournament of the year, December, and then in January you start again. And it's tough."

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