Rafael Nadal will play the last event of his long career in Malaga this November. The former world number 1 will try to help his Spain in the Davis Cup Finals, although it is not clear what his role will be given the results obtained in recent months. To date, the 22-time Grand Slam champion does not seem competitive enough to play the singles in such an important event. The Davis Cup Finals are played on a surface – the indoor hard court – that has never been the favorite of the legend from Manacor.
In addition, in the few tournaments played in 2024 Rafa never shone and he lost even against second-tier opponents. The 14-time French Open champion has not played an official match since the Paris Olympics this summer, although he returned to action last week at the ‘Six Kings Slam‘ in Saudi Arabia.
Although it was only an exhibition, Nadal seemed much lower than the current top players and will hardly be able to fill this gap in about a month. The feeling is that the Spanish ace will only play doubles in the Davis Cup Finals, considering he has chosen not to add any official tournament before the last event of his career.
Rafa is saying goodbye
Some thought the former world number 1 would play the Paris-Bercy Masters 1000 to get used to the indoor conditions, but Rafa did not request a wild card for the last Masters 1000 of the season. So, the 22-time Grand Slam champion will be in Malaga having played very few official matches in recent months.
Before the start of the Paris-Bercy Masters 1000, tournament director Cedric Pioline expressed his point of view about Rafa’s farewell: “I asked if there was any interest but the answer was very clear: he has decided to play the Davis Cup Final 8 in Malaga as his last event and he will not play an official tournament until then.
It’s hard to know whether he feels he’s performing well and whether he thinks he can bring something to the table. From what I know of him, I’m of the opinion that he’ll only play the doubles to take his leave and not jeopardise the team’s result for his personal need to say goodbye. There’s a form of risk in not playing before the Davis Cup Finals, but he knows himself well, he has a whole team and I think it’s clear in his head.
The less we play, the less rhythm we have. The less rhythm you have, the less confidence you have. What’s certain is that with all his injuries in two years, others would have thrown in the towel sooner. To his credit, he hung in there and chose when and where to call it a day. That’s priceless.”
A massive legacy
The former world number 1 won his last title at the 2022 French Open, when he shocked the world by lifting the trophy despite a serious foot injury. Rafa played that edition of Roland Garros with an anesthetic foot, before reaching the semifinals at the following Wimbledon Championships.
During his quarterfinal match against Taylor Fritz, the Spanish legend suffered a abdominal injury that forced him to retire before the semi-final against Australian ace Nick Kyrgios and started his decline. Nadal has had a lot of physical problems over the last two years and he has never been able to return to his normal level. The last part of his career was reminiscent of that of his eternal rival Roger Federer, who had to give up after several knee surgeries. Despite not playing much lately, Rafa has always been very helpful to other players, especially for his country’s players.
In a recent interview with ‘EFE’, WTA star Paula Badosa paid tribute to the Spaniard: “He is always a person who has helped me a lot. When I was injured, during my convalescence, he gave me advice, he was always there. Obviously I thought about sending him a message since his statement, but I also wanted to leave him alone because I know that it is a very intense moment and I do not like to invade spaces. I’ll wait a little, but obviously I will get in touch when the time comes and I will thank him again for what he did for me.” This year’s Davis Cup Finals will be a truly heart-rending moment for all sports fans. The 22-time Grand Slam champion is truly a global icon and his greeting to professional tennis will make everyone cry. It will truly be the end of an unforgettable era.