MALAGA, Spain (AP) — Rafael Nadal is getting set to retire from professional tennis after one last event: He will be part of Spain's team at the Davis Cup finals that start Tuesday in front of a home crowd in Malaga. The 38-year-old Nadal has been on tour for more than 20 years and is the second member of the so-called Big Three of men’s tennis to stop playing. Roger Federer announced his departure in 2022, while Novak Djokovic is still near the top of the game.
“It is obviously a difficult decision, one that has taken me some time to make. But in this life, everything has a beginning and an end," Nadal said. "And I think it is the appropriate time to put an end to a career that has been long and much more successful than I could have ever imagined.
” Here is a guide to Nadal's goodbye to tennis: — In the U.S.: Tennis Channel — Other countries will be listed here as of Monday.
It's not entirely clear when Nadal's last match will come, in large part because the Davis Cup is a team event and what's now known as the “Final 8” begins at the quarterfinal stage. Spain will get things started against the Netherlands on Tuesday. Win that, and the Spaniards would advance to the semifinals Friday against Canada or Germany (who meet each other Wednesday).
The other quarterfinals are scheduled for Thursday: the United States vs. Australia, and defending champion Italy vs. Argentina.
The championship round will be Sunday. There are two matches in singles and one in doubles .