Rafael Nadal played at the Olympic Games in Paris, where he was eliminated in the second round of singles after losing to Novak Djokovic, and in the doubles, together with Carlos Alcaraz, he said goodbye to the competition in the third round. The Spanish duo, who were described as “magnificent” and “legendary”, turned out to be worse than the Americans Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram.
After the Olympics, Nadal “disappeared” again and did not appear at any tournaments. Of course, this has to do with constant injuries and the age of the 22-time Grand Slam winner. The Spaniard was due to play in the Laver Cup but announced his withdrawal. This year, however, we will see him on the court. At least, that's what it seems.
Rafael Nadal returns to the court. Will he team up with Carlos Alcaraz again?
David Ferrer, who is currently captain of the Spanish national team, announced in Malaga the squad for this year's Davis Cup final. It includes Carlos Alcaraz, Roberto Bautista, Pablo Carreno, Marcel Granollers and Rafael Nadal.
– I am very excited about the fact that I have Rafa – said Ferrer directly, quoted by “AS”. The Spanish daily describes this information as a “bombshell” and indicates that “Alcaraz and Nadal will lead Spain”. – Rafa is already training on the court and that is the most important thing. He told me a long time ago that he wants to play in case the team qualifies for the final. Now he has repeated his intentions and shown that he wants to be with us in Malaga – added Ferrer.
The finals will be held at the Jose Maria Martin Carpena Sports Palace in Malaga. According to the captain of the Spanish national team, Nadal will prepare for them in Saudi Arabia, but he may change his plans and train in Malaga. And how much will he help the team?
– He can play both singles and doubles. He is an exceptional player, capable of everything and different from the rest – said Ferrer. Could Nadal form a doubles duo with Carlos Alcaraz again? It is possible, although the main doubles player for Spain will probably be Marcel Granollers, who is the leader of the ATP doubles rankings.
The Davis Cup final will begin on November 19, with the final scheduled for November 24. In addition to Spain, the Netherlands, Italy, Australia, the United States, Germany, Canada and Argentina will be playing.