David Ferrer has provided an update on if Rafael Nadal will play singles at the Davis Cup finals.
The 38-year-old announced he will retire from professional tennis after the team tournament, which will take place in Malaga Spain, has concluded.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion has been selected to represent Team Spain for one final time and will hope to add another Davis Cup title to his glittering résumé.
But there is a possibility Nadal may not add to his impressive Davis Cup singles record if he decides he will not be competitive enough, or if team captain Ferrer chooses another player.
Does David Ferrer think Rafael Nadal will play singles at the Davis Cup finals?
It would be fitting for Rafael Nadal to play the final singles match of his career on home soil at a tournament where he enjoyed plenty of success over the years.
But it is unknown what the Spaniard’s fitness will be like given the number of injuries he has sustained since the start of last season.
Nadal said he will not compete in singles at the Davis Cup if he does not feel he will have a strong chance of winning and positively contributing to the team.
When asked about whether Nadal will play singles in his last tournament, team captain David Ferrer told Marca: “I have a lot of confidence in Rafa because I’ve spent my entire career with him and I know he’s honest about whether he sees himself capable of competing or not.
“My idea after talking to him is that he’s ready to play. “I don’t know, he is training. I spoke to Rafa on Wednesday, I am also in constant contact with his coach Carlos Moya and his agent Carlos Costa. They are updating me day by day.
“I will decide in Malaga, when I see how he is training. But the same will happen with the rest of the players. If Nadal is training at a good level and is physically fit, he is an option, of course. I’ll know who’s going to play two or three days before.”
Who will Rafael Nadal and Spain face in the Davis Cup finals?
Spain will commence the Davis Cup finals against the Netherlands on November 19 in the quarter-finals.
In the other last eight matches, Germany will face Canada, then the two most successful Davis Cup teams in history, USA and Australia, will do battle, while Italy will take on Argentina.
Should Spain win their quarter-final, they will face either Germany or Canada in the semi-finals.
Spain’s Davis Cup finals team currently includes Nadal, his Paris Olympics doubles partner Carlos Alcaraz, as well as Roberto Bautista Agut and Marcel Granollers. A fifth player has yet to be named.
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