Argentine Davis Cup team captain Guillermo Coria admits he will be the first to root for Spain to win the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga if his team exits the event early and avoids the host nation.
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Last month, the 22-time Grand Slam champion announced via a video message that his retirement would officially come to an end at this year's Davis Cup Finals between November 19-24.
There, the 38-year-old Spaniard will meet the player he defeated nearly two decades ago for his first two Masters titles. Back in 2005 - that year when Nadal famously introduced himself to the tennis world by absolutely dominating the clay season - he defeated former world No. 3 Coria in the Monte Carlo and Rome finals.
Now, they will meet again but this time the 42-year-old Argentine will be there to witness the Spanish tennis icon's farewell.
"Personally, I feel privileged to be the captain of the Argentine team and to be present in Malaga and to be able to experience it up close. Especially the days leading up to it, which will be very emotional for him and for all tennis lovers," Coria told Marca.
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Coria: It would be fantastic if Nadal's career ended with a title
After winning his first Davis Cup title with Spain in 2004, Rafa was also a part of his nation's triumphant runs in 2009, 2011 and 2019. Throughout his career, he always happily represented Spain as he is also an Olympic gold medalist in both singles and doubles. Also, the former world No. 1 was a finalist with Spain at the 2022 ATP Cup.
And heading into this year's Davis Cup Finals, many feel it would be just perfect to have Nadal cap off his astonishing career with one more trophy.
"Rafa is leaving now, it will be very emotional and will leave a very big mark. His absence will surely be felt, as will the way he competes. I have not seen Vilas play live, but I have seen him on video, and I think that after Vilas, Rafa appeared in the sense of that way of competing, that physical strength. I suffered and enjoyed it, especially in the final in Rome. It was very difficult to beat him at his best because he beat you both on the tennis and physical level. If we were eliminated, it would be fantastic if he could retire having won the Davis Cup. It would be fantastic for him and for everything he did in his career. What he did was impressive," Coria explained.
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Since Argentina is placed in the top half of the draw, they will start against Italy, with the winner of that tie playing against either the USA or Australia in the semifinal. On the other side, Spain kicks off their run by taking on the Netherlands - and if they win - their semifinal rivals would be either Germany or Canada. So Argentina and Spain could only possibly meet in the final.
After saying he would like to see Nadal win the Davis Cup Finals, Coria clarified himself and noted that he would root for that scenario only if his side lost earlier in the tournament.
"Yes, that's what I meant. I think everyone will be there and will be there for him. We'll see if he can compete because he said that if he wasn't in good condition, if he wasn't 100% fit, he wasn't going to put Spain at risk. He's going to be a hit, there will be a lot of people and everything will be packed. We'll enjoy it at the hotel, in training, I'm going to enjoy it a lot," Coria said.
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Coria recounts Nadal beating him in a thriller Rome final
After beating the 2004 French Open runner-up 6-3 6-1 0-6 7-5 in the 2005 Monte Carlo final for his first Masters title, the Spaniard also met the Argentine 20 days later in Rome. This time, it was an even more thrilling final but the outcome was again the same after Nadal clinched a 6-4 3-6 6-3 4-6 7-6 win.
In his interview with Marca, Coria agreed that it was one of the best matches that he ever played despite the loss. But also, the former world No. 3 admitted that he was happy to be a small part of Nadal's astonishing journey.
"He deserved to win that battle because he was better at that moment and marked his path. He began to write his story in Monte Carlo a few weeks before and continued in Rome and didn't stop winning. I'm grateful because he brought out things in me that I couldn't have imagined, like the shots I threw in that match," Coria noted.
