He said it himself: for Rafael Nadal it means a lot to be able to give his farewell to tennis in Spain and be on the court. He said it himself: he cannot predict how he will feel and if he will play, but he must leave emotions aside. Rafa said it himself: movie endings are for Hollywood, here you have to focus on the competition and doing the best for the team. He has tried to work as hard as possible during the last month and a half to arrive at the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga in good condition.
ADVERTISEMENT
The words released by the legendary Spanish champion on the media day of the last event of the season mark the end of an era, literally. A divide that will close a story that is about to leave the court, to belong to both the past and the future, to enter the myth.
There are Heracles andAchilles, Odysseus, there are Captain America andIron Man, there is Monkey D. Luffy and his crew in search of the One Piece. Then there is Nadal. Hero and idol of many fans and tennis players. An athletewho, like Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, has reached the status of legend. They know him in the four corners of the world, like Superman. It is right to celebrate him for what he is: one of the greatest athletes that the history of sport remembers.
ADVERTISEMENT
His retirement is imminent: the Davis Cup in Malaga will be the farewell in front of his fans, hoping for a last legendary miracle. Who knows if Alcaraz and the others will help Rafa and be able to win one last great title on the day of his retirement? Or if it will be Rafa, with one last epic performance, to give his fans a victory that would have a special, almost divine flavor.
"The truth is that since I had the injury in Australia 2023 I have not played freely. What leads me to leave tennis now is that I feel I can no longer be competitive enough. I could play one more year to say goodbye to the most important tournaments of my career, but it makes no sense for me to continue when I am fully aware that my body does not let me fight for the competitive goals that motivate me. However, I have not exhausted myself from tennis, if I could I would continue playing but it is impossible to train with the necessary continuity," revealed with great honesty the Spanish champion a few hours ago on the eve of the Davis Cup Finals.
ADVERTISEMENT
Captain of the Spanish Davis Cup Finals team David Ferrer is not yet sure who will join Carlos Alcaraz in the singles matches. The big ballot is certainly between Rafa, at his last tournament of his career, and Roberto Bautista Agut, ready to take over if the Majorcan champion does not make it.
"I still don't know who will play against the Netherlands. I'll make the decision on Tuesday, after watching all the practices," said Ferrer. But I'm sure David will give Rafa the court, to let him pay his respectful last respect from the crowd.
Rafa, the Spanish conquistador who has captivated hordes of fans and who, over time, has received first the respect and then the love of the fans. The Hispanic barbarian who has brought down Roger Federer's kingdom with his racket, who combines power, athleticism, mental strength and grace. Because yes, we have always raved about how aesthetically splendid Federer is to watch play tennis, but the same goes for Rafa. Even if his tennis is different, Rafa has often been underestimated from a technical point of view. A serious mistake, in my opinion.
ADVERTISEMENT
His friendship with his great rival Federer, the respect earned and granted after years of coldness with his true nemesis, Djokovic, make this great champion more human than ever, who leaves tennis after 22 Slams, 14 French Open titles and an atavistic desire to continue, held back (as often happened to him in his career) by a body that is powerful but equally fragile muscularly. But as is often said, the end of the journey is only the beginning of another. Federer knew it, Andy Murray did it this summer, now it's Rafa's turn.
