Toni Nadal Disappointed With Spain's New Davis Cup Captain

Toni Nadal, Rafael Nadal's coach and uncle, is disappointed with the appointment of Gala Leon Garcia as the newest and the first female Davis Cup captain of Spain. Although the 40-year-old received a warm welcome from leading figures in the game, Toni Nadal has given a lukewarm response to her appointment.

On Monday, the Spanish Tennis Federation (RTEF) announced that Leon Garcia will replace Carlos Moya as the Davis Cup captain of Spain. Moya, who stepped down last week after they were demoted from the World Group by a defeat in Brazil, will be replaced by a woman.

"It is preferable that (the Davis Cup captain) is someone with a background in the world of men's tennis," the 53-year-old coach said to a Spanish radio, Reuters reports. "I have nothing against her, I don't know what her capabilities are and I hope she does her job well, but in theory she is a person that doesn't know men's tennis, because men's tennis isn't the same as women's tennis." Additionally, men's tennis is not the same as the women's game on the tactical level and it is more appropriate to have a captain like Juan Carlos Ferrero or some former tennis player of a particular level, the Spaniard said in ESPN's phone interview.

Leon Garcia played 651 WTA Tour matches and reached her highest rank of world 27 during her prime. After retiring in 2004, she started to coach a number of female players, and in June, she became the first woman to be appointed as the sports director of the Spanish tennis federation.

Despite the criticisms, Leon Garcia remains positive and said that her main concern is to take the team back to the top of the sport. The 40-year old explained that everyone is entitled to their own opinions. She added the she is not to start a sexist debate but to help the Davis Cup team and ensure that the trophy returns home soon. "If the Davis Cup returns to being a real objective for the players, then the door is always open on my part," Moya said.