BarcelonaSurely the last dance with Rafa Nadal did not end well. The player from Manacor has fallen against Dutchman Botic Van de Zandschulp, with whom he had never lost, in the first match of the Davis Cup tie between Spain and the Netherlands in Malaga. Nadal lost by a double 4-6, a result that puts the Netherlands ahead in the tie at the Palau dels Esportes Jose Maria Martín Carpena in Malaga. If Spain are eliminated, this will be the 38-year-old’s last game. If Spain lift the tie, they might still be able to play in the semi-finals again.
The Dutchman, who had lost his two previous meetings with the Balearic, both in 2022, has not given Nadal an option, having not competed in a singles match since late July, when he lost at the 2024 Paris Olympics to the Serbian Novak Djokovic. The duel between Spain and the Netherlands is in the hands of Carlos Alcaraz who will face Tallon Griekspoor in the other singles clash. Alcaraz has also been chosen by captain David Ferrer as part of the doubles team with Marcel Granollers.
Nadal announced a few months ago his decision to retire, after months punished by injuries. The player from Manacor, one of the best sportsmen of all time, has managed to lift 92 trophies, 22 of them Grand Slams. Nadal turned professional at just 15 years old (2001) and at just 18 he already managed to win his first Grand Slam, a Roland Garros, a tournament he has won up to fourteen times during his career. His legend has also been magnified by his two great traveling companions, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, who these days have sent messages showing their admiration for Nadal.
