Rafael Nadal feels Carlos Moya deserves the credit for the iconic David Cup 2004 victory
Follow Us
20-time Grand Slam champion, Rafael Nadal is surely one of a kind. His legacy will remain unparalleled in tennis forever. He has literally won all the honors in the game during his span as a professional, and the Spaniard looks certain to further extend his records in the future.
Besides the Grand Slams, there are tournaments such as the Davis Cup and Olympic Games in tennis which are team represented and not for personal glory. Speaking of the Davis Cup, Rafa recently claimed his current coach Carlos Moya as the architect to the road to victory at the 2004 Davis Cup.
The architect was Carlos: Rafael Nadal
2004 men’s tennis season belonged to Roger Federer. He won his first Grand Slam at Wimbledon the year before and went on to clinch the Australian and US Open later on as well.
However, making his debut that year in the Davis Cup at the age of just 17, World No.2 Rafa Nadal announced himself on the big stage.
Cruising through the quarter and the semis, Spain had set up a clash with the most successful nation in the Cup’s history – the USA. It was going to be debutant Rafa Nadal vs then Andy Roddick.
Nadal came out on top, battling back after Roddick won the opening set to take it in four.
Reflecting on that win, the Spaniard said, “I make my point, the other was done by Carlos Moya, we lost the doubles and Carlos finished off. It is attributed to me, perhaps because I was young, for the novelty, but the architect was Carlos.”
Moya got the ball rolling for Spain on the opening day with a straight-sets victory over his opponent and Nadal’s task was therefore to compound the advantage for the hosts with a victory over Roddick.
Amongst The Big 3, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic have won the Davis Cup on only one occasion. However, 34-year-old Nadal has won it a staggering five times, leaving him way ahead of the chasing pack.
/techfirstnow/media/agency_attachments/kATjCXskQdJKkXN0OuqW.png)