Tennis: For “Rafa”, tears will flow in Malaga

A page in the history of tennis and sport will be turned this Tuesday, in Malaga, as part of the final phase of the Davis Cup, the last meeting in Rafael Nadal’s professional career. Intergenerational champion, the only player to have won at least two Grand Slam titles in the last three decades, the legend is preparing to say goodbye to his sport, his passion, before the eyes of his public and his peers.

The man with 14 crowns at Roland-Garros secretly dreams of coming full circle by winning the Silver Saladier for a fifth time on Sunday.

Rafael Nadal, battered by two decades at the highest level, can no longer stand up. After his title at the 2022 Australian Open, the left-hander from Manacor asked for a chair to listen to the speeches at the protocol ceremony.

Four months later, he won his final Grand Slam title at Roland Garros with a sleeping left foot, having suffered from a rare disease (Müller-Weiss syndrome) since he was 18. “There is no longer any sense in wanting to continue knowing that I no longer have any chance of becoming competitive again at the level I want to be,” he said. My body doesn’t allow me to do it anymore.”

The question is on everyone’s lips in Malaga. Twenty years after his victorious Davis Cup debut, Rafael Nadal wanted to end his career representing his country. Will his captain, David Ferrer, throw him on the court on Tuesday for the quarter against the Netherlands? The two men maintained the mystery on Monday in front of the press.

The Mallorcan says he is there for the team, not for his retirement. He suggested that he could only be fielded in doubles. “If I don’t see myself ready to have a chance to win in singles, I will be the first not to want to play,” he said.

The day the retirement of his greatest opponent was announced, Novak Djokovic assured him. “I will be there in person to pay tribute to your brilliant career,” he said on X.

Since then, Feliciano Lopez, former player and director of the Davis Cup finals, has confirmed that “Nole” had made the request, as had recently retired British Andy Murray. What about Roger Federer? “Rafa’s” big friend, with whom he cried during his last match at the Laver Cup, didn’t let anything slip. But it’s hard to imagine missing this moment in history.

The Netherlands, Tuesday, a possible semi-final on Friday, and the final on Sunday: for the three days where the Spanish selection could perform, the 11,300 seats at the Malaga Sports Palace have long found buyers. For the other days, there are tickets between 60 and 500 euros (VIP).

“The week of the lump in the throat”, was the headline on Monday by Roberto Palomar in “Marca”. Like the fans, the 500 accredited journalists are preparing to experience a week full of emotions. “We haven’t seen such a device in the Davis Cup since the coronation of Roger Federer’s Switzerland,” wrote a journalist from RMC Sport, present on site.