Coupang Play announced on the 18th that it will be the only company in Korea to broadcast live the ‘2024 Davis Cup’ Finals, which will be the last stage before the retirement of ‘tennis king’ Rafael Nadal.
The Davis Cup is the world’s most prestigious national tennis competition and is called the ‘World Cup of Tennis.’ Eight countries that have advanced to the finals through preliminary rounds and group stages since the beginning of the year will determine the winning team in a tournament. Last month, Spain’s Nadal announced that he would retire after the Davis Cup, and the tournament is receiving more attention than ever as it will be the last time Nadal plays in active duty.
Nadal formed the ‘Big 3’ with Roger Federer (Switzerland) and Novak Djokovic (Serbia) and led the golden age of men’s tennis in the 2000s. He won a total of 92 singles titles, including 22 Grand Slam titles. In particular, he was an absolute powerhouse on clay courts and was called the ‘Soil God’ after winning the most championships (14 times) at ‘Roland Garros (French Open)’.
Coupang Play will show the quarterfinals between Nadal’s Spain and the Netherlands at 1 a.m. on the 20th and the final at 12 a.m. on the 25th. If Spain wins against the Netherlands, additional broadcasts of Spain’s semifinals will be scheduled to deliver Nadal’s Last Dance to domestic tennis fans.
Spanish tennis, which has world-class stars such as Nadal and the ‘next generation emperor’ Carlos Alcaraz (world number 3), is loved by many for its unique passionate and persistent play. In 2019, with Nadal as the main player, they lifted the Davis Cup trophy and are aiming to regain the top spot after five years. In response, the Netherlands is emerging as a dark horse in national competition based on its outstanding organizational ability. Talon Griggspoor (40th) and Botik van der Janzshulp (81st), who have recently grown tremendously, are leading the way.
The point of interest is whether Nadal will play in the quarterfinals, singles or doubles. The Davis Cup Finals consists of a total of 3 matches, 2 singles matches and 1 doubles match, and the team with 2 wins first wins. Nadal reached the quarterfinals in the men’s doubles at the last Paris Olympics with Alcaras as a member of the Spanish team.
Veteran tennis commentator Lee In-hwan and former national tennis player Lim Gyu-tae will appear in the Davis Cup broadcast. Commentator Lim Gyu-tae said, “The Spanish members are very good in this tournament,” and added, “I’m looking forward to whether Nadal’s last dance, who chose a meaningful finish as the national representative, will lead to victory.”
