Rafael Nadal played his first match since announcing his retirement at the Six Kings Slam, and the Spaniard discussed whether he expects to be physically ready for his last event at the Davis Cup Finals.
It has been over a week since Nadal devastated millions of fans worldwide by revealing he would retire at November's Davis Cup Finals in Malaga. Spain will play the Netherlands in the quarterfinal.
Although the 14-time French Open champion retiring at Roland-Garros is probably what most envisaged for his ending, the Davis Cup on home soil is also a fitting choice. Nadal has won four Davis Cup titles during his illustrious career.
The tennis legend had not competed since the Olympics before this week's Six Kings Slam, an exhibition event in Saudi Arabia. Nadal is an ambassador for the Saudi Tennis Federation, a position that some find controversial.
Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Daniil Medvedev, and Holger Rune were the other players who agreed to play at the Six Kings Slam. Djokovic and Nadal received byes to the semifinals of the event.
After beating Rune on the opening day, Alcaraz defeated his idol Nadal to reach the final. Despite that loss, the 38-year-old competed better than many expected, and the fans were treated to some high-quality rallies.
Nadal's time at the Six Kings Slam is not over after that loss. He will play his old rival Djokovic for almost certainly the final time before retiring next month.
Although the pair have enjoyed a rivalry that some consider the best in tennis history, Nadal has not won a set on a hard court against Djokovic since the 2013 US Open final, meaning beating him after his physical issues will be an uphill task.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion also did not come close to overcoming the Serbian when they met at the Olympics on clay at Roland-Garros, and playing Djokovic on a hard court is a harder matchup than that.
However, it will be a great test of where Nadal's game is ahead of the Davis Cup Finals. The Spaniard discussed in an interview in Saudi Arabia whether he is confident of being physically ready for his farewell appearance.
"Emotionally, I'm sure I'll be ready. Physically and in terms of tennis level, there remains a month left to prepare. I will try to be in good shape to help the team to win. If I don't feel ready for the singles, I'll be the first one to say. Be 100% sure, I will not be on court if I don't feel ready to win my match."
Most of the focus at the Davis Cup Finals will be on Nadal's retirement, but representing his country means a lot to the former world No. 1. Hence, it is unsurprising he would not play singles if he did not feel ready.
What seems far more certain is that Nadal and Alcaraz will play doubles again at the Davis Cup after their partnership at the Olympics. It will be emotional to watch Spain's greatest player and their new star together in Nadal's final tournament.
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