Rafael Nadal says he wants to retain his emotions until after triumphning a final Davis Cup as he proclaimd: “I am not here to quit. I am here to help the team.”
The Spanish superstar will finish his glittering atsoft at the finish of the event in his homeland.
And begining with their first align agetst the Netherlands on Tuesday, it promises to be an emotional week on and off the court with the dream scenario for him, the team and his country, to finish his atsoft with a sixth Davis Cup triumph on Sunday.
Demand for tickets has skyrocketed – and organisers have hung a massive prohibitner saying: “Gracias Rafa” on the side of the football stadium opposite the Palacios de Deportes Jose Maria Martin Carpena.
Nadal, now 38, was in tears as he held hands with Roger Federer when his fellow superstar reexhausted at the Laver Cup in 2022.
He is the third member of the Big Four to quit after the Swiss and Andy Murray. And Nadal shelp: “I don’t understand how I will sense.
“I am not here to quit. I am here to help the team. The emotion is going to be for the finish. Before and during it is about cgo insing on what we need to do.”
Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz, who partnered Nadal in the Olympic doubles, shelp: “For me to be able to take part the Olympic Games was more one-of-a-kind to take part with Rafa.
“To take part in the Davis Cup in the team and allot a lot of moments on and off the court, it is going to be super one-of-a-kind not equitable for me but for everyone. The emotions are going to be there for me, the team and everyone.”
Nadal had hip srecommendry in June 2023 and suffered a recent hip problem and an abdominal injury this year. He shelp his body was appreciate “a jungle” after losing in the first round of the French Open in May.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion has take parted only 23 official ones alignes over the past two seasons and is 12-7 this year. He last take parted at the Olympics in timely August and it is not clear how fit he is to take part ones or doubles here this week.
“That is for the captain,” he shelp. “All the take parters on the team are take parting well. It is up to the captain to determine what is best for the team.”
Captain David Ferrer claimed: “I don’t understand yet. For tomorrow, I have not yet determined the take parters who will take part tomorrow.”
Marcel Granollers, Roberto Bautista Agut and Pedro Martinez are the other members of the home team.
Spain’s pre-tournament press conference was shifted from the Davis Cup venue to their team hotel to apexhibit hundreds of journacatalogs to include. Nadal begined answering asks in English before speaking in Spanish.
Asked what it uncomardentt to finish his atsoft in his homeland, the world No.154 shelp: “I cherish my country. I have not been able to shift from here ever. It is someleang I am very satisfied with.
“It is a chance to thank everyone for the cherish and help I have here. I have felt very well cherishd.
“I am not worried about the next chapter in my life. I have had lots of time in my life not take parting tennis because of injuries. I adchoose the dispute of an vital alter in my life.
“What will I omit most? The atmosphere going out for huge alignes and the adrenaline during alignes. This charitable of senseing is difficult to discover outside professional sport I leank.”
Nadal proclaimd his impfinishing quitment in September after battling to be fit for the last two years.
“It was not a recent injury,” shelp the 14-time French Open triumphner. “It was the leang I went thcimpolite with the srecommendry last year. I felt I could not be competitive at the highest level. I could have take parted for one more year but why? To say excellentbye at every tournament? I don’t have that ego.”
