38-year-old Rafael Nadal is all set to bid farewel to his favourite sport during the Davis Cup in Malanga next week. The veteran Spanish player has already helped his country win the tournament in 2004, 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2019. However, the 22 time grand slam winner has been marred by injuries in the past few years leading to some very serious concerns about his form.
Nadal hasn’t been at his best in 2024 with his last contest being in the Paris Olympics in August where he lost to longtime foe Novak Djokovic. He also played two exhibition matches in Saudi Arabia last month ahead of the Davis Cup.
Despite the Davis Cup being his farewell tournament, Rafa says he asked captain David Ferrer not to let that interfere with his plans. He went on to add that he is happy to limit his appearances to doubles and not singles if he is not at his best.
“First off, we’ll have to see how I feel in training and, if I really don’t feel I have a chance to win the singles, I’ll be the first to not want to play.” Nadal said in an interview to Spanish tennis federation.
‘If I don’t feel ready, I’ll be the first to speak to the captain.. I’ve already told him (David Ferrer) on a few occasions not to make any decisions based on the fact that it’s my last week as a professional tennis player.’
Rather than being sad about ending his glorious career, Rafa says he is trying to ‘relish’ the last moments as normal. He said, ‘So I’m excited to bring to an end a long and beautiful part of my life, relishing these last moments as normal, accepting that everything has a beginning and an end,’
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