London London. Rafael Nadal is preparing to retire from professional tennis after one last event: he will be part of the Spanish team in the Davis Cup final, which starts on Tuesday in front of the home crowd in Málaga.
Nadal, 38, has been on the tour for more than 20 years and is the second member of the so-called Big Three of men's tennis to stop playing. Roger Federer announced his departure in 2022, while Novak Djokovic is still near the top of the game.
“It's obviously a difficult decision that has taken me some time to take. But in this life, everything has a beginning and an end,” Nadal said. “And I think it's an appropriate time to end a career that has been longer and more successful than I could have ever imagined.”
Here's a guide to Nadal's retirement from tennis:
—U.S. In: Tennis Channel
— The list of other countries will be given here from Monday.
It is not entirely clear when Nadal's last match will be, largely because the Davis Cup is a team event and what is now known as the “Final 8” begins at the quarterfinal stage. Spain begins play against the Netherlands on Tuesday. If they win, the Spaniards will advance to the semi-finals on Friday against either Canada or Germany (who will face each other on Wednesday). Other quarterfinals are scheduled for Thursday: United States vs. Australia, and defending champions Italy vs. Argentina. The championship round will take place on Sunday. Each matchup consists of two matches in singles and one in doubles; The first country to win twice advances. The other wild card in all this: No one knows for sure whether Spain captain David Ferrer will choose to play Nadal in singles, doubles, both or – theoretically possible, if improbably – neither. . Along with Nadal, Spain's team includes four-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz, Roberto Bautista Agut, Pedro Martínez and Marcel Granollers.
The biggest reason for his move is that he has been troubled by injuries for some time, including a painful foot, an abdominal muscle problem and a hip problem that required surgery last season. “The reality is that the last few years have been difficult, especially the last two,” Nadal said. “I don't think I've been able to play without any limitations.”
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