Realistic as always, Rafael Nadal has left his retirement aside ahead of the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga. Spain will chase the first Davis Cup trophy since 2019, and the 22-time Major winner is focused on the team’s result and what will happen on the court.
Rafa held a press conference ahead of Spain’s clash with the Netherlands, leaving spectacular retirement ceremonies for Hollywood and thinking only about the matches. Nadal arrived in Malaga early and has been training without abdominal issues, hoping to help his team on the court for the final time.
If that does not happen, the legend will be his teammates’ strongest supporter from the box, dreaming about the Davis Cup title in front of the home fans. Rafa has not played official matches since the Olympic Games in early August. However, he has been working hard on his form and is happy about the progress he has made.
Nadal could play against Botic van de Zandschulp and is available for a possible doubles clash alongside Marcel Granollers. The legendary Spaniard debuted in the national jersey two decades ago and helped Spain claim the second Davis Cup crown in 2004.
Rafa does not want to pressure David Ferrer or anyone with his retirement. Placing the country’s effort above everything, the 22-time Major winner will step aside if he feels his level is not good enough to win matches for his country.
Superhuman, @RafaelNadal 👏#DavisCup | @RFETenis pic.twitter.com/rPG5ZlqPxB
— Davis Cup (@DavisCup) November 16, 2024
Rafa’s glory run and ultimate struggles
Despite injuries and setbacks, Nadal wrote history books in the first half of 2022. He claimed two Major titles, moving to 22 and leaving Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic behind. However, he injured his abdominal muscles at Wimbledon and withdrew ahead of the semi-final duel with Nick Kyrios.
Rafa struggled for the rest of the season, finishing 2nd behind Carlos Alcaraz and missing a chance to become world no. 1 at 36. Entering the 2023 season without form or confidence, the veteran injured his left hip in the Australian Open second round against Mackenzie McDonald.
Everything went wrong for one of the greatest competitors ever, with injury forcing him to miss the rest of the season and undergo surgery. Eager to end a career on his terms, Nadal worked hard in the second part of 2023, starting from the beginning but raising his level.
The Spaniard set the return date for Brisbane in the first week of 2024. Like he never left, Rafa defeated Dominic Thiem and Jason Kubler to move into the quarter-final. Nadal experienced a blow against Jordan Thompson, missing three match points and falling after three and a half hours.
The veteran felt pain around his troubled hip, skipping the Australian Open and returning home to Mallorca. Like that was not enough, Rafa felt pain in his abdominal muscles, struggling to serve and extending his break from tennis until April. The king of clay returned to action in Barcelona.
Nadal could not bring his A-game at his beloved events, scoring five wins in Barcelona, Madrid and Rome and heading to Paris with zero confidence. The 14-time Roland Garros champion faced world no. 4 Alexander Zverev in the first round and fell 6-3, 7-6, 6-3 after three hours and five minutes.
Rafa fought well, serving for the second set but missing a chance to prolong the battle. Alexander took charge in the second part of the third set, moving through and delivering Nadal’s fourth and last loss at his beloved Major.
Final Olympic Games dance
As was expected, Rafa skipped the grass swing and threw everything at his last Olympic Games in Paris. He trained in Mallorca and Greece before heading to Bastad, entering the ATP 250 event for the first time since 2005! The veteran stopped the clock, defeating four rivals and reaching his first ATP final in over two years.
Nadal passed a couple of challenging obstacles and lost steam, taking five games against Nuno Borges in the final and finishing runner-up. The veteran struggled with the pain in his right thigh, returning to Paris and preparing to give everything on the court.
He passed Marton Fucsovics in the first round and set the 60th duel against Novak Djokovic in the second. The Serb stood as the favorite and proved that in the initial stage, rattling off ten of the first 11 games and moving 6-1, 4-0 in front! Nadal revived his Court Philippe-Chatrier magic and bounced back!
The Spaniard pulled two breaks back, firing a winner in the eighth game and locking the result at 4-4 for more drama. Still, the Serb grabbed another break in the ninth game and sealed the deal on his serve in the next one, beating his great rival for the third time on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
Nadal did not want to travel to the USA for the hard-court swing, so he at home and announced his retirement at the Davis Cup Finals. Rafa played two matches at the Six Kings Slam in Riyadh, losing to Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic. Nadal trained at home ahead of his final ride in Malaga.
The legend would love to help his country chase the Davis Cup title. However, he wants to avoid putting David Ferrer under pressure, highlighting multiple times that he would only compete if he felt ready.
“Leave movie endings for Hollywood. We must focus on doing our best on the court this week. I have worked as hard as possible for the last month and a half, improving my level and arriving in Malaga with good senses. However, knowing where you stand without competitive matches is always tricky. If I must play, I will step on the court with ultimate enthusiasm and determination. It means a lot to me to say farewell to tennis at home in Spain, especially if I can compete. It’s hard to predict how I would feel on the court, but I must leave emotions aside. The captain will make decisions, and we must do everything as a team to fight for the Davis Cup trophy,” Rafael Nadal said.