And then there was only one. Of the big three in tennis, only one will be left in a month Novak Djokovic left over. Roger Federer packed his tennis bag two years ago and now it’s time for Rafael Nadal to get out too.

Although that is probably the wrong expression. “Time to get out” implies something decisive and sudden. The now announced final withdrawal from the Davis Cup in Malaga is born from a rocky, confusing process involving dead ends and pain.