At the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga, which begin on Tuesday, the focus will be on someone who may not even be playing. Rafael Nadal is playing his last tournament.
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- The Davis Cup Finals start on Tuesday in Malaga - and thus Rafael Nadal's last tournament of his career. However, it is still unclear whether the 38-year-old will play.
- "If it doesn't make sense, then I'll be the first to say that," says Nadal ahead of the quarter-final clash with the Netherlands about a possible substitute role.
- However, Nadal feeds the fans' hopes that the end is still a match or two away: "I've been able to prepare quite well."
On the façade of the arena, where the Davis Cup winner will be decided until Sunday, a huge poster reads "GRACIAS RAFA". After 22 years, the Spaniard is drawing a line under his fantastic career. In storm-ravaged Malaga, the lucky ones who managed to get a ticket hope that the 22-time Grand Slam tournament winner will play one last singles match.
"We could have filled the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu," said tournament director Feliciano Lopez, describing the tennis euphoria that has gripped the Andalusian city. Unlike Real Madrid's stadium, only 10,000 people can fit into the arena in Malaga. Many stars from sport, show and politics will be there when Spain plays its quarter-final against the Netherlands on Tuesday.
Nadal will not be distracted
"Of course we are planning a very special farewell for this very special athlete and person," said Lopez. The difficulty is that nobody knows exactly when Nadal's last appearance will be. Already on Tuesday? Or in the semi-final or even in the final on Sunday? And will Nadal even play again? Or is his time as a substitute coming to an end? "If it doesn't make sense, then I'll be the first to say so," Nadal promised.
Spain's team manager David Ferrer will only announce his line-up shortly before the quarter-finals. Until then, Spain will be observing, analyzing and speculating. Every move made by the retiring superstar is of interest these days. Nadal is taking the hype in his stride. "It won't distract me. I'm not here to retire, but to help the team," he assured.
Still Hollywood after all?
Nadal nurtured the hope that the end is still a match or two away. "I've been able to prepare myself quite well," he reported on the recent training days at his own academy on Mallorca and then became a little sentimental: "I'm excited to bring a long and wonderful part of my life to an end," said the 38-year-old. "You have to accept that everything has a beginning and an end."
Even though Nadal explained that there is no such thing as the perfect farewell, and that such endings are reserved for American films, a final Davis Cup title with him on court would come very close to a Hollywood scenario. The down-to-earth Nadal agrees: "It would be a nice farewell for me and a pleasure for us all."
Three top 10 players in Malaga
In addition to Spain and the Netherlands, Germany and Canada (on Wednesday), the USA and Australia as well as Italy and Argentina (both on Thursday) will contest the quarter-finals. The semi-finals are scheduled for Friday and Saturday, with the final on Sunday. Three top 10 players are taking part in Malaga: Italy's Jannik Sinner, Spain's Carlos Alcaraz and the American Taylor Fritz.
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