Plans are being finished for Rafael Nadal’s farewell at the Davis Cup Finals, but a huge snag has arisen about the scheduling of the occasion.
The 38-year-old Spaniard, who won 22 Grand Slam titles, 14 of which came at the French Open, has stated that the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga later this month will be his final professional event.
“The reality is that the previous two years have been particularly difficult. “I don’t think I’ve been able to play without limitations,” Nadal remarked as he announced his retirement.
“It is obviously a difficult decision, one that has taken me some time to make but in this life, everything has a beginning and an end.”
“I believe the moment has come to terminate a long and successful career that has beyond my expectations.
“Now I’m quite happy that my last competition will be the Davis Cup final, and I’ll be representing my nation.
“I think I’ve come full circle since one of my first great joys as a professional tennis player was the Davis Cup Final in Seville in 2004.”
Tickets for each of Spain’s probable Davis Cup Finals matches are selling for tens of thousands of euros on the secondary market, but the exact schedule of Nadal’s retirement ceremony has yet to be verified.
Nadal’s main competitor, Novak Djokovic, has reaffirmed his intention to attend the Malaga event, although Davis Cup Finals Tournament Director Feliciano Lopez admits the date is difficult to settle.
The aim is to bid Nadal farewell after Spain’s final match of the tournament. That might be after their first match against the Netherlands on Tuesday, November 14, or five days later if they get to the Final on Sunday.
“We’ll have everything planned, but we’re not sure when,” said former Spain Davis Cup great Lopez.
“There are many uncertainties. Of course, when he announced that Davis Cup would be his final tournament, all of the attention was focused on his departure and celebration, but the competition itself is so important that I don’t think Rafa’s farewell will overwhelm it.
“The most essential thing for Rafa is his squad. He does not want to do anything that could jeopardize the team. Rafa’s focus is Spain, and if they finish the competition, we can do something for him.
Lopez also claimed that Davis Cup Finals organisers are bombarded with demands to attend Nadal’s final match, with space being the main issue in Malaga.
“I think almost everyone in the world wants to be present for this moment,” he added.
“Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic have both expressed an interest in attending. There are many more who want to attend, and I’m not sure if we’ll have enough seats for everyone.
“As you could expect, all of the tennis players who played during his time want to be there. Other athletes from various sports in Spain and around the world wish to take part in this. So I’m sure that will be a very special occasion.”
Roger Federer is expected to have sought to attend his great rival’s farewell match after Nadal abandoned his pregnant wife to be present for his final performance on court at the Laver Cup in September 2022.
However, Lopez and his colleagues Davis Cup organisers may struggle to get the all-star cast to attend Nadal’s final match, as few people will be willing to travel up to six days in Malaga to be there for the momentous event.
