Rafael Nadal has never come out and said he is retiring after 2024, but many have assumed he would do so. Had the all-time great been mostly healthy and successful this year, there might be the assumption that Nadal would continue into 2025 and see if he is more ready to compete for Grand Slam titles again. Nadal has struggled with injuries this year, though.
Lately, tennis commentators and people on social media have speculated that Nadal is possibly searching for one final event to play before he stops playing professionally. There is a chance that the Davis Cup tie Spain will have in late November could be that final tournament. The issue is that Spain’s Davis Cup captain, David Ferrer, says not so fast.
According to Ferrer, he has been in contact with Nadal but there is a good chance that the Davis Cup will not be Nadal’s final match because Ferrer is not even sure Nadal will play then. There is even a possibility that we have already seen the last of the Spanish great.
There is a chance that Rafael Nadal plays his final event at the Davis Cup at November
He was bounced out in the first round of the French Open, a tournament he had won a record 14 times, by Alexander Zverev. Nadal was competitive in the match, but still lost in straight sets.
The Spanish great skipped Wimbledon but returned to play a clay-court tournament in Bastad, Sweden, and made the final before losing in straight sets to Nuno Borges. The event was a warm-up tournament to help Nadal prepare for the Olympics which took place at the same location as Roland Garros in Paris.
At the Olympics, Nadal was swept out in straight sets in the second round by Novak Djokovic. That match was not competitive. The Spaniard has not played since.
According to Tennis365, Ferrer said, “I spoke to Rafa, but we don’t know anything yet (about the Davis Cup). There is a possibility that he could be with us in Malaga in November. His goal was the Olympics this year, then he stopped. He needed to rest and spend time with his family…I will speak to him later. The important thing is that he is well. If he arrives in good condition in November, he would certainly be a player we can count on.”
The “arriving in good condition in November” sounds hopeful that maybe Nadal will play at the Davis Cup along with Carlos Alcaraz. Hopefully, he does well if he does play. There is just as much of a possibility that we have seen the last of Rafael Nadal.