MADRID — Rafael Nadal is able to skip singles matches on the Davis Cup finals in Malaga if he believes he isn’t adequate to assist Spain reach his farewell match.
Nadal is retiring after the Davis Cup, the 22-time Grand Slam champion worn down by too many accidents on the finish of his 20 years on tour.
“I am going to attempt to put together as finest as doable so I may be out there to play, however I wish to assist any method I can, taking part in or not taking part in,” the 38-year-old Nadal mentioned Saturday from Malaga in an interview revealed by the Spanish tennis federation.
“First we now have to see how I am feeling in coaching. If I actually do not see myself able to have an opportunity of profitable in singles, I will be the primary who will not wish to play.”
Nadal’s singles report in 2024 is just 12-7. His final official competitors was the Paris Olympics in August, a second-round loss to longtime rival — and eventual gold medalist — Novak Djokovic. Nadal reached the doubles quarterfinals with Carlos Alcaraz. Final month, he performed two exhibition matches in Saudi Arabia.
“I’ve already informed [Spain captain David Ferrer] on many events to not make any choice based mostly on the truth that that is my final week as an expert tennis participant,” Nadal mentioned. “The group comes first, and he shouldn’t be affected within the slightest by any hype that will come alongside due to me. He has to do what’s finest for the group and that’s what I need.”
Spain will open Tuesday in opposition to the Netherlands, and if it wins it’s going to advance to the semifinals Friday in opposition to Canada or Germany.
“My first nice pleasure as an expert tennis participant was within the Davis Cup in 2004,” Nadal mentioned.
He helped Spain win the Davis Cup in 2004, 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2019.
“I am greater than grateful with all the things that has occurred to me in all these years. I clearly would love for the group to do nicely and for me to have the possibility to win one other Davis Cup, whether or not by taking part in or cheering from the stands. I might wish to get pleasure from this week and shut a really stunning and really lengthy cycle of my life … accepting that all the things has a starting and an finish.”