Rafael Nadal is not certain whether he will play in singles competition at the Davis Cup finals.
The Spaniard is set to retire from professional tennis at the end of the prestigious tournament, bringing his illustrious career to an end.
Eyebrows were raised when the 38-year-old was named in Spain’s squad for the Davis Cup finals, given Rafael Nadal’s lack of matchplay in 2024.
Furthermore, the 22-time Grand Slam champion has not represented Spain in the Davis Cup since 2019, which Spain won and he was named the tournament’s MVP.
But it was made clear when Nadal announced his intention to retire after the Davis Cup on home soil in front of his fans.
Will Rafael Nadal play singles at the Davis Cup?
During his press conference after losing to Carlos Alcaraz at the Six Kings Slam, Nadal commented on if he will play singles at the Davis Cup.
He is a very proud competitor and will not want to compete if he does not feel he can win or positively contribute to the team. This is something Nadal elaborated on as he bids to be at his best for the last tournament of his career.
“If I am going to be ready for the Davis Cup. Emotionally I am sure I will be ready. In terms of physically and in terms of tennis level it remains a month,” Nadal told reporters. “I am going to be preparing for that and I am going to be trying to be in good shape to help the team to win.
“If I feel ready and the captain wants me ready then it’s going to be the captain’s decision. If I don’t feel ready for it then I am going to be the first one that I will say I am not ready in the singles and let’s see if I can help in some ways.
“First of all it’s my thing. If I see myself ready then you can feel yourself ready and go on court and lose, that’s part of the sport without a doubt.
“But be 100% sure that I will not be on court if I don’t feel ready to win my match. That’s the truth. It’s the Davis Cup, you are representing your country, so the thinking is very clear.
When did Rafael Nadal decide he wanted to retire from tennis?
Nadal made the announcement regarding his retirement in October, but this is a decision he made some time before.
He last competed at the Paris Olympics in July and during that time Nadal missed the US Open and Laver Cup, which he was due to compete in.
During that time he contemplated on his future, before deciding it was time to hang up his racket. “I made the decision a while ago. It took some time,” the former World number one added.
“But after the Olympics I gave myself a few weeks to think and I realised that I answered the questions that I needed to answer to myself to make the decision that I feel is the right decision for me.”
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