Spain’s tennis participant Rafael Nadal performs a return throughout a coaching session forward of the Davis Cup tennis event 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 will likely 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 Huge Three of males’s tennis to cease taking part in. 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 resolution, one which has taken me a while to make. However on this life, every little thing has a starting and an finish,” mentioned Nadal, who has been training every day in Malaga since final week. “And I believe it’s the applicable time to place an finish to a profession that has been lengthy and way more profitable than I may have ever imagined.”
Here’s a information to Nadal’s goodbye to tennis:
When will Nadal play his last 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 generally known as the “Last 8” begins on the quarterfinal stage.
Spain will get issues began in opposition to the Netherlands on Tuesday (November 18, 2024). Win that, and the Spaniards would advance to the semifinals Friday (November 22, 2024) in opposition to Canada or Germany (who meet one another Wednesday (November 20, 2024)).
The opposite quarterfinals are scheduled for Thursday (November 21, 2024): america vs. Australia and defending champion Italy vs. Argentina. The championship spherical will likely 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 certain whether or not Nadal will likely be chosen by Spain’s captain, David Ferrer, to play singles, doubles, each or – theoretically potential, if unlikely – neither.
“If I actually don’t see myself able to have an opportunity of successful in singles,” Nadal mentioned, “I’ll be the primary who gained’t wish 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 largest motive 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 difficulty that required surgical procedure final season. “The truth is that it has been some tough years, these final two particularly,” Nadal mentioned. “I don’t assume I’ve been in a position to 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 anyplace 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 previously?
Nadal has been part of Spain’s group at some stage of the Davis Cup throughout 5 years when the nation gained 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 bought previous the U.S.
“I’m very excited that my final event would be the last of the Davis Cup and representing my nation,” Nadal mentioned.
“I believe I’ve come full circle as a result of certainly one of my first nice joys as an expert tennis participant was the Davis Cup last in Seville in 2004.”
Revealed – November 18, 2024 10:37 am IST
