Spain’s tennis participant Rafael Nadal performs a return throughout a coaching session forward of the Davis Cup tennis match on the Martin Carpena sports activities corridor, in Malaga, on November 16, 2024.
| Photograph Credit score: AFP
Rafael Nadal is getting set to say farewell to skilled tennis after one final occasion. He can be a part of Spain’s group on the Davis Cup finals that begin Tuesday (November 18, 2024) in entrance of a house crowd in Malaga.
The 38-year-old Nadal has been on tour for greater than 20 years and is the second member of the so-called Large Three of males’s tennis to cease enjoying. Roger Federer introduced his departure in 2022, whereas Novak Djokovic remains to be close to the highest of the sport.
“It’s clearly a tough choice, one which has taken me a while to make. However on this life, all the pieces has a starting and an finish,” mentioned Nadal, who has been practising each day in Malaga since final week. “And I feel it’s the acceptable time to place an finish to a profession that has been lengthy and rather more profitable than I may have ever imagined.”
Here’s a information to Nadal’s goodbye to tennis:
When will Nadal play his remaining match?
It’s not totally clear when Nadal’s final match will come, largely as a result of the Davis Cup is a group occasion and what’s now often known as the “Closing 8” begins on the quarterfinal stage.
Spain will get issues began towards the Netherlands on Tuesday (November 18, 2024). Win that, and the Spaniards would advance to the semifinals Friday (November 22, 2024) towards Canada or Germany (who meet one another Wednesday (November 20, 2024)).
The opposite quarterfinals are scheduled for Thursday (November 21, 2024): the USA vs. Australia and defending champion Italy vs. Argentina. The championship spherical can be Sunday (November 24, 2024).
There are two matches in singles and one in doubles in every matchup; the primary nation to win twice progresses. The opposite wild card in all of this: Nobody is aware of for positive whether or not Nadal can be chosen by Spain’s captain, David Ferrer, to play singles, doubles, each or – theoretically doable, if unlikely – neither.
“If I actually don’t see myself able to have an opportunity of profitable in singles,” Nadal mentioned, “I’ll be the primary who received’t need to play.”
Who’re Nadal’s teammates on Spain’s Davis Cup group?
Nadal is joined on Spain’s roster by four-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz, Roberto Bautista Agut, Pedro Martinez and Marcel Granollers.
Why is nadal retiring now?
The most important purpose he is able to transfer on is that he has been bothered by a sequence of accidents, together with a painful foot, stomach muscle issues and a hip situation that required surgical procedure final season. “The fact is that it has been some tough years, these final two particularly,” Nadal mentioned. “I don’t assume I’ve been capable of play with out limitations.”
When was Nadal’s most up-to-date match?
Nadal has not performed a lot in any respect every of the final two seasons due to accidents; he’s simply 12-7 in 2024. His most up-to-date official competitors wherever got here in early August on the Paris Olympics, the place he misplaced to his longtime rival and eventual gold medallist Djokovic within the second spherical of singles and reached the doubles quarterfinals alongside Alcaraz earlier than bowing out. Nadal additionally performed two exhibition matches in Saudi Arabia final month.
What number of grand slam titles did Nadal win?
Nadal finishes with 22 Grand Slam singles titles, behind solely Djokovic’s 24 amongst males within the historical past of tennis, and forward of Federer’s 20. The breakdown: 14 on the French Open, 4 on the U.S. Open, two at Wimbledon, two on the Australian Open. Nadal’s final main championship got here in Paris in 2022, when he wanted nerve-numbing injections in his left foot.
Has Nadal helped Spain win the Davis Cup up to now?
Nadal has been part of Spain’s group at some stage of the Davis Cup throughout 5 years when the nation received the title – in 2004, 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2019. That first title got here after a teenage Nadal defeated then-No. 2-ranked Andy Roddick as Spain acquired previous the U.S.
“I’m very excited that my final match would be the remaining of the Davis Cup and representing my nation,” Nadal mentioned.
“I feel I’ve come full circle as a result of one in all my first nice joys as knowledgeable tennis participant was the Davis Cup remaining in Seville in 2004.”
Printed – November 18, 2024 10:37 am IST
