Toni Nadal: ¡°I¡¯m no sexist. Men¡¯s and women¡¯s tennis are different sports¡±

Toni Nadal, uncle and coach of Spanish tennis star Rafa Nadal, is sticking by critical comments he made on Monday about the appointment of Gala Le¨®n as Spain¡¯s new Davis Cup captain.

In an interview today with the Cadena SER radio network he said he stood by his view that the 40-year-old former female professional ¨C the first woman to occupy the role ¨C was not the right choice to replace Carlos Moy¨¤ as leader of the men¡¯s team following its shock loss to Brazil and subsequent relegation earlier this month. ¡°I don¡¯t regret what I said,¡± he confirmed. ¡°I said nothing offensive about Gala nor about women. I limited myself to saying that I was surprised by the decision.¡±

According to the world number two¡¯s coach, the issue is purely technical and has nothing to do with gender. ¡°I limited myself to saying that it was a problem and I still think that. In no way am I sexist. You could brand me old-fashioned in seeing problems about having to share a dressing room with a woman, but to go from there to talking about sexism¡­ Would I be OK with peeing in front of a woman? No way. That in any case might be old-fashioned.¡±

There are certain barriers, Nadal said. ¡°A woman is just as capable as a man, but men¡¯s and women¡¯s tennis are different sports,¡± he said. ¡°I know nothing about the hours and training systems for women¡¯s tennis. I don¡¯t even know who the best players are. I doubt Gala Le¨®n knows the [men¡¯s] world number 40. I¡¯m sure [former Spanish player Sergi] Bruguera, who trains [Richard] Gasquet, knows him,¡± he argued.

A lot of time is spent in locker rooms without many clothes; that¡¯d be weird ?with a woman¡±

Nadal used the example of former French player Am¨¦lie Mauresmo, who now coaches Britain¡¯s Andy Murray, to support his views. ¡°If in a few years¡¯ time, she is still on the men¡¯s circuit and they appoint her Davis Cup captain, then I think that would be fine. She has had an absolutely brilliant career,¡± he said. ¡°For me there is a clear objective reason. If you look back over the last Davis Cup captains, they have all been ex-players. There are players of great merit, such as Sergi Bruguera and Juan Carlos Ferrero, who seem better options than Gala Le¨®n to me. If Le¨®n then turns out to be a great captain? Then great.¡±

Asked if he might one day accept an offer to lead the Federation Cup team, the female equivalent of the Davis Cup, Nadal rejected the idea. ¡°I don¡¯t think I would be capable. I wouldn¡¯t accept it because I don¡¯t think that I would be the right person. There are people with a lot more prestige in the world of tennis than me, much more prepared than me. I know nothing about women¡¯s tennis. I know Sharapova or the top four, but not the number 20.¡±

Nadal went on to underline his nephew¡¯s commitment to Spain¡¯s Davis Cup team and tried to downplay his previous day¡¯s protests over Le¨®n¡¯s appointment. ¡°I can¡¯t stop being surprised for several reasons,¡± he told RNE state radio on Monday. ¡°She isn¡¯t a person we know on the men¡¯s circuit, which is an added difficulty for her [¡­]. I believe she doesn¡¯t know the players, at least Rafael; and there is a logistical difficulty that is difficult to solve, because in the Davis Cup a lot of time is spent in locker rooms without much clothing and with a woman it would always be weird.

I don¡¯t think the fact she is a woman affects anything¡± Tennis player Marc L¨®pez

¡°Logic tells me that it would have been more normal for Juan Carlos Ferrero, or an ex-player to be captain,¡± he continued. ¡°I like things to be as simple as possible and I think it is easier for the captain to be a man.¡±

Members of Spain¡¯s Davis Cup squad have also expressed their surprise at the appointment. ¡°I¡¯ve never worked with a female coach or captain before,¡± said Marc Granollers. ¡°I know that the captains that we have had are players with great careers, great successes, who knew the men¡¯s circuit perfectly, all the players ¡­ and that this will be a bit different.¡±

¡°To take charge of the team now, when it has gone down, is difficult,¡± said Fernando Verdasco. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go against her, but as long as it can be, the captain ought to be a man. [But] I have no doubt she could do a great job and bring the team back up.¡±

¡°I don¡¯t think the fact she is a woman affects anything,¡± argued Marc L¨®pez. ¡°The players have to accept it, to be united, to play, win and go up to the World Group.

¡°There are several rooms ¡­ it¡¯s not essential that she is there where you¡¯re having a shower,¡± he added. ¡°It will be a bit different, but I don¡¯t think whether she can or can¡¯t be there all the time will influence the development of her work.¡±