Retiring Rafael Nadal aims to keep his emotions in check at Davis Cup Finals

The Davis Cup Final is set to commence on Tuesday, November 18, in Malaga, Spain. The upcoming edition will feature Rafael Nadal as the highlight of the event. Earlier in October, the legendary Spaniard announced that the Davis Cup Finals in Spain would be his last professional tournament. Following his stint with Team Spain, Nadal will pull the curtains on an illustrious tennis career. While the fans and fraternity hold him at the center of the event, Rafael Nadal will be focused on leading Spain to the ultimate win. The seasoned player has not been at the top of his form for quite some time now. Before announcing his retirement, Nadal's last appearance came at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where he suffered a defeat at the hands of Novak Djokovic.

Rafael Nadal focused on performing well for Spain at the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga

The 22-time Grand Slam champion addressed the press a day before Spain starts it's campaign at the Davis Cup Finals. The extent of Nadal's involvement in Spain's draw will depend on the seasoned player's fitness. However, while Nadal remains uncertain about his role, he expressed that he will focus on concluding the tournament. The 38-year-old, furthermore, explained that he is at peace with his decision to conclude his career at this point. Thus, any emotions regarding the Davis Cup Finals being his last professional assignment will come next to his aim of performing well at the event.

"If I'm on the court I hope to control my emotions. I'm not here to retire, I'm here to help the team win," Nadal told. "It's my last week in a team competition and the most important thing is to help the team. Emotions will come at the end. Before and after I'll be focused on what I have to do," he added.

Spain faces Netherlands on Tuesday in the quarter-final draw at the Davis Cup Finals. While Nadal remains uncertain if he will take the court for singles draw, he is likely to team up with Carlos Alcaraz for the doubles fixture. Alcaraz and Nadal recently squared off in semi-final at the Six Kings Slam exhibition in Riyadh. Moreover, Spain's captain David Ferrer refrained from commenting on the matter. The Spanish captain explained that he has not decided the combinations for the quarter-final against Netherlands. With the semi-finals and final scheduled for Friday and Sunday respectively, Spain has the chance to extend their campaign until the end of this week. However, Friday happens only if Spain curbs Netherlands on Tuesday. Nadal, however, is ready even if Tuesday marks his retirement from the sport.

"Everybody when arrive the end of a long career, of course, at the end I will change things that I did, I will do things that I will change to try to be better and to try to avoid things, but at the end, I achieved the most important thing for me," Nadal said. "I arrived this day, and I am in peace that I give all what I had, and I played and I practiced since I was seven years old but in that age, I started to work more and more with passion, with love, and with the determination to be as good as possible," he added.

Although Nadal doesn't seem to be in his peak form for the 2024 Davis Cup Finals, the event has been etched as yet another tournament that has witnessed Nadal's greatness over the years. Nadal has been pivotal in securing five Davis Cup victories for Spain. In his career that spans over two decades, Nadal emerged as the second legend in the 'Big 3.' Another title on Sunday would mark a fitting end to his professional career.

If Spain defeats Netherlands, they will advance to the semi-finals, where they will face either Germany or Canada on Friday. The final will be played on Sunday. Spain’s squad is bolstered by the presence of the reigning Roland Garros and Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz, alongside top 50 ATP players Roberto Bautista Agut and Pedro Martinez, and doubles expert Marcel Granollers. Nadal, currently ranked 154th in the world, arrived in Malaga on Thursday and has been training with his teammates over the past few days.