MEXICO - The good news: Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer will play an exhibition in Mexico City the week of December 5. The scenario is the Palacio de los Deportes, with a capacity of almost 18 000 spectators. Both players and stadium are ultra secure. "Yes, it is confirmed" the email said Carlos Costa, manager of Nadal, ESPN at noon on Wednesday.

The extra information. The game will be played on Tuesday 6 to Thursday 8 December. There shall be on a weekend, for sure. And the date primarily be decided by the players, in a period no longer than the next two weeks. "We'll start selling tickets in 15 or 20 days," he says Alvaro Falla, Executive Director of the Colombian company IMLA. They organized the exhibition Nadal-Novak Djokovic in Bogota, on 21 March. And now teamed up with local firm to carry out ODS this show in Mexico City.

The "filling" of the show. Prior to the Nadal-Ferrer, there will be a mixed doubles with players to be defined. Two are Mexican (Melissa Torres and Santiago Gonzalez) And there will be two strangers, who could add even more attractive to the menu. The format is like the event in Bogotá.

"What we did in Colombia was very successful. It was a great experience for Nadal and all his companions, and so realize this show was a relatively quick management," says Alvaro Falla, who has no relationship to the player Alejandro Falla.

The numbers behind the event. It is speculated that Nadal claimed a sum of nearly one million dollars to face Djokovic in Bogota. The same figure was shuffled to the ill-fated presentation of Rafa in Buenos Aires. The total cost of the event was around 3.5 million Colombian dollars. And the numbers would be similar to the presentation in the City.

IMLA calls to the players and put on the table "know how" event. ODS is the Mexican leg of the business. There are no sponsors secured. "We visited several of them, but none have taken the option," says Falla. Surely, all this will change starting this week.

And the rest as claimed, Rafa? The issue now is deeper, and triggers controversy: Nadal was the flagship of the recent protests of the players for the demands of the current calendar competition. However, he decides to extend its tennis season with this exhibition. Win or lose in the Davis Cup final against Argentina, the rise of Manacor on a plane, will cover more than 10 000 kilometers between Madrid and the City and will take up his racket for the last time this year.

A Last? There are a lot of money on the table, of course. This is a personal decision of the player, no doubt. But somehow their actions conflict with their words. Not the same play in an event of this kind to do it in a Grand Slam, obviously. But what the top players are asking for is very clear: relax. Or not? Is not asking for time off to get more juice to your pet? How to interpret and assess it?

That will be the subject of another column. But to be entering the discussion: What is your opinion? Balls. Discuss.