Rafael Nadal’s farewell to aggressive tennis is quick approaching, with this week’s Davis Cup Final 8 marking his remaining look earlier than retirement.
As he exited a Q&A session Monday at a resort on Spain’s southern coast, he felt a hand on his shoulder.
It was Carlos Alcaraz, his 21-year-old Spanish teammate and successor, wanting to share a quiet phrase.
The pair may share the court docket one final time Tuesday when Spain faces the Netherlands within the quarterfinals on the Palacio de Deportes in Malaga.
However, the query of whether or not Nadal will play stays unresolved. Neither he nor Spain’s captain, David Ferrer, confirmed his participation.
But one factor is for certain – the 22-time Grand Slam champion is nearing the tip of his storied profession.
When requested what he’ll miss probably the most, Nadal mirrored, “The feeling of competition, being on court, seeing the fans, and the atmosphere during big matches… it’s all about the adrenaline before, during, and after the match.”
The winner of Spain-Netherlands will face Canada or Germany in Friday’s semifinals, with the championship on Sunday. But for Nadal, his focus is on serving to his crew win. “I’m not here to retire. I’m here to help the team,” he mentioned, donning the crimson polo shirt with a small Spanish flag on the sleeve. “The emotions will come later.”
The 38-year-old, who’s endured a string of accidents lately, acknowledged that persevering with with out being totally aggressive now not is smart. “My body won’t allow me to compete the way I like,” he mentioned, talking candidly at a crew news convention in Fuengirola, 12 miles south of the venue.
While Nadal’s future participation is unsure, his legacy within the Davis Cup is simple: 29 wins, one loss, and a .967 win proportion, the very best of anybody with greater than 15 matches.
He hasn’t misplaced a Davis Cup singles match since 2004 when he debuted with a loss to Jiri Novak of the Czech Republic.
Tuesday’s match may very well be Nadal’s final in a significant event. Whether he performs singles, doubles, or each stays to be seen. As Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann mentioned, “It would be nice to get a chance to play against him one more time.”
Ferrer’s lineup received’t be confirmed till 4 p.m. native time, one hour earlier than play begins. The 9,200-capacity area is offered out for the match, figuring out it may very well be the final time followers see Nadal in motion.
“It’s going to be an emotional day,” mentioned Alcaraz, acknowledging the importance of his teammate’s remaining moments on court docket.
Nadal’s final two years have been marred by accidents, limiting him to only 23 singles matches, together with a 12-7 report this yr. He hasn’t competed since early August when he misplaced to Novak Djokovic within the second spherical of the Paris Games singles, and in doubles, the place he was ousted within the quarterfinals.
“I’ve been thinking about retirement for a long time,” Nadal admitted. “I don’t have the ego to need a farewell at every tournament. I don’t want to keep going if I can’t compete the way I used to.”
With one final Davis Cup run forward, Nadal is decided to present his greatest. “The improvement is there every day, even when you don’t compete often,” he mentioned.
Source: www.dailysabah.com