Rafael Nadal was praised by Andy Roddick after an act the American believes demonstrates how humble he is.
Nadal has routinely won plaudits for his behavior on and off the court. The Spaniard has never broken a racket, does not have angry outbursts, and also never speaks arrogantly during press conferences or interviews.
Being such a great role model is one of several reasons Nadal will be missed when he retires at the Davis Cup Finals. Team Spain's quarterfinal tie against the Netherlands is scheduled for Tuesday in Malaga.
Understandably, most of the focus at the year-end tournament will be on Nadal. Carlos Alcaraz admitted that his legendary compatriot's retirement is much more important to him than winning the Davis Cup.
Despite how significant the moment is for Nadal, he has tried to stop all the attention from being on him. The 38-year-old insists he wants to help Team Spain win the Davis Cup and is not just be there to retire.
That mindset shows Nadal's natural instincts as a human being. After everything he has given to tennis over more than 20 years on the ATP Tour, no one would begrudge him for making the moment solely about him.
Yet, that is not in his makeup. Nadal will undoubtedly stay professional until the very end and be focused on winning a fifth Davis Cup title if Team Spain triumphs in Malaga.
The 14-time French Open champion also revealed he told Spain's Davis Cup captain, David Ferrer, to do what he believes is best for the team's chances of winning, even if that means not playing Nadal.
Speaking on the Tennis Channel, Roddick believes Nadal is being sincere when he says that and thinks it demonstrates what an incredibly humble champion the former world No. 1 is.
"So, we'll see, but listen, the thing I like about Rafa, consistent with saying 'whatever helps the team, Ferrer wants to sit me, he can sit me'. And it's weird to say that I honestly believe that. That's how humble a champion he is. Selfishly, I speak for all of us, we want to see Rafa in singles."
Although it remains to be seen whether Nadal is fully fit to play in singles, Roddick thinks the matchup against Team Netherlands No. 2 player, Botic van de Zandschulp, might suit Nadal more than other Spanish players such as Roberto Bautista Agut.
"Yeah, if you're hearing that then it's no surprise (Nadal preparing for Davis Cup singles), and I do think also, if you look at the Netherlands, most likely that matchup is going to be against Alcaraz-conquerer from New York (referring to Alcaraz's 2024 US Open exit), Van de Zandschulp."
"You could make the argument that Rafa's ability to expose lines on that forehand side with the lefty might be a better matchup than against RBA (Roberto Bautista Agut) where Van de Zandschulp could actually create and be the aggressor."
In his comments ahead of the Davis Cup Finals, Nadal has been cautiously optimistic about his chances of being ready to play, but whether he will be chosen for the singles remains to be seen.
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