Rafael Nadal, 38, returns to center court once again at the Davis Cup in Spain. But like so many tennis greats, the clay court king has long since missed the perfect moment to say goodbye.
Málaga/Vienna. When is it actually that time? That is the big question at this Davis Cup final tournament in Málaga, which is clearly overshadowed by Rafael Nadal’s “Adiós”. A farewell with many question marks, because it is not yet clear that the 38-year-old Mallorcan will actually play for Spain. If so, in singles or just doubles? Already today (5 p.m., live, Dazn) in the quarter-finals against the Netherlands? Or even in the final on Sunday? Or is his time as a substitute coming to an end?
There is a lot of hype surrounding the local hero; the “Gracias Rafa” banner on the facade of the football stadium opposite the tennis arena measures 2,600 square meters. But the end of the 22-time Grand Slam winner’s career has a clearly bitter note. Simply because it will take place in a multi-purpose hall at a tournament that is controversial in this form, instead of being celebrated in the actually logical place – in Paris, on the Court Philippe-Chatrier at the French Open – where Nadal is dominated the tennis world like no one before. His departure now fuels a realization that tennis in particular brings with it again and again, and most recently in an almost tragic way: the best are not good at all when it comes to quitting.
Missed opportunities
See Nadal’s rivals from the so-called Big Four: Roger Federer’s last set was a 0:6 in the quarter-finals of Wimbledon, only his own Laver Cup gave him a worthy farewell stage over a year later. Andy Murray limped from defeat to defeat, plagued by injuries, before losing his last match at the Olympic Games in Paris this summer. And Novak Djoković is currently puzzling. He seems torn between his priorities as injuries mount and he’s been dethroned by new superstars Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. Even Pete Sampras, often cited as the master of the perfect exit after he surprisingly won the US Open again in 2002 and then didn’t play a match again, found it anything but easy. He only announced the end of his career relatively quietly many months later.
“/> Nadal in Málaga. Reuters
That’s understandable. After all, Nadal and Co. have dedicated their entire lives to tennis. The realization that it is time to start a new phase of life must first mature. Nadal also missed the perfect opportunity to say goodbye at the peak – in June 2022, when he triumphed in Paris for the last time. The signs of his suffering were there; he had played with a numb foot due to his rare Müller-Weiss syndrome. Instead, he dragged himself all the way to Málaga, playing only 23 singles matches over the past two seasons and experiencing devastating defeats. His legendary topspin and defensive skills faded. What remained was the irrepressible will and the beloved quirks, the tugging of pants, the raised eyebrow, the drink bottles placed with millimeter precision.
Nadal’s exhausting style of play took its toll. Roger Federer told him that at some point it would be time to make the difficult but all the more liberating decision. Because Djoković had become unassailable with his 24 Grand Slam titles, the family with his wife Xisca and son Rafael Junior was also waiting. In his last match so far, a second-round defeat against Djoković at the Olympic Games in Paris at the end of July, Nadal was no longer an equal opponent. “I have suffered a lot the last two years,” he said.
Triumph thanks to Alcaraz?
He is now in the Spanish squad for the Davis Cup finals. At least 11,300 spectators will be there in Málaga, and it will be difficult to accommodate all the stars and companions who have announced their presence. You might be disappointed anyway. If Nadal does not feel competitive, he will not compete, he explained. “If it doesn’t make sense, then I’ll be the first to say it.”
Or will there be a final, self-sacrificing fight at the end? It is also not out of the question that he will triumph with Spain, after all he has Carlos Alcaraz in the team. “I really want him to finish with a title,” the 21-year-old superstar said. It would be the perfect exit, but Nadal no longer has it in his own hands.
