NEW DELHI: Rafael Nadal will play for Spain in the Davis Cup finals, which begin Tuesday in front of a home crowd in Malaga, marking the beginning of his final appearance in professional tennis.
The 38-year-old Rafael Nadal is the second of the so-called Big Three of men's tennis to retire from competition after more than two decades on the circuit. Novak Djokovic remains at the top of the game, while Roger Federer declared his retirement in 2022.
WHEN WILL NADAL PLAY HIS FINAL MATCH?
Since the Davis Cup is a team competition and the so-called "Final 8" starts at the quarterfinal round, it's unclear exactly when Rafael Nadal will play his final match.
On Tuesday, Spain will begin play against the Netherlands. If the Spaniards win that, they will play either Canada or Germany (who play each other on Wednesday) in the semifinals on Friday.
WHEN WAS NADAL'S MOST RECENT MATCH?
Due to injuries, Nadal has not played much in each of the last two seasons; in 2024, he is merely 12-7. He lost to his longstanding nemesis and eventual gold medalist, Novak Djokovic, in the second round of the singles category at the Paris Olympics in early August.
Nadal and Alcaraz advanced to the quarterfinals of the doubles tournament before retiring. Last month, Nadal also participated in two exhibition matches in Saudi Arabia.
HOW MANY GRAND SLAM TITLES DID NADAL WIN?
Nadal ends with 22 Grand Slam singles victories, more than Federer's 20 and only surpassed by Djokovic's 24 in tennis history.
The breakdown: Fourteen in the French Open, four at the US Open, two at Wimbledon and two at the Australian Open. Nadal required nerve-numbing injections in his left foot to win his final major title in Paris in 2022.
