Full stop or semi-final? Rafael Nadal, who played and lost the first singles of the Davis Cup match between Spain and the Netherlands on Tuesday in Malaga, is going through a day as uncertain as it is moving.
After 23 years on the circuit, Nadal lost in two sets against the Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp (80th), winner of the Spanish legend 6-4, 6-4. His heir, Carlos Alcaraz, world No. 3, will then take the field against Tallon Griekspoor (40th), before a possible decisive double between the two teams.
If Spain is eliminated, Nadal will have delivered his last match; if Spain passes, a semi-final will take place against Germany or Canada.
During the day, while it was still unknown whether Nadal would be lined up by Spanish captain David Ferrer, spectators were already present in large numbers in the fan zone.
Coming from Elche (southeast of Spain), Miquel Zapata Diez and Sergio Medina were convinced: as the Spanish media had announced since Tuesday morning, “Rafa” was going to play and Spain would win. “Rafa is one of the last legends” of tennis, judged Sergio, a 25-year-old firefighter who would not have missed his farewells for anything.
While his start against the Netherlands was only confirmed around 4:15 p.m., Nadal argued at a press conference on Monday that he had “tried to work as hard as possible over the last month and a half.”
“I think I’m improving every day,” concluded the left-hander from Manacor, who has not played in an official tournament since the Paris Games this summer and whose career has been punctuated by countless injuries.
For Nadal, the priority is for Spain to be “competitive” to be able to run for a 7th Silver Salad Bowl, which is also coveted by the Italy of world No. 1 Jannik Sinner or the United States of Taylor Fritz (4th), Tommy Paul (12th) and Ben Shelton (21st).
Of the six coronations of the Iberians, the 38-year-old Majorcan participated in five victorious campaigns (2004, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2019) but having not played the final in 2008, he only has four Saladiers d ‘money.
One of the greatest
From the gates of the airport to the municipal athletics stadium which faces the site of the final phase, passing through the metro stations, the entire city of Malaga has already begun to pay tribute to the national hero, with great support of ” Gracias Rafa” (Thank you Rafa).
Director of the Davis Cup, Feliciano Lopez promised to prepare “something very special” to celebrate the “career” and “legacy” of the king of clay, fourteen times winner of Roland-Garros.
Nadal already received a public tribute from his friend and former rival Roger Federer on Tuesday.
“You made me work harder than I ever imagined (…) You forced me to reinvent my game (…) What an incredible career you had,” congratulated the former Swiss world no. 1 on social networks.
The Italian Matteo Berrettini (35th), already a spectator of Nadal at 9 years old during the marathon final of the Masters 1000 in Rome in 2005 (victory against Guillermo Coria in 5h14), remembered with emotion Tuesday his semi-final against the Spaniard at the 2019 US Open.
“Of course, I lost,” he smiled at a press conference. “But playing against him on one of the greatest tennis courts in the world is something I will remember.”
For former world No. 1 and Australia captain Lleyton Hewitt, the left-hander from Manacor is “one of the greatest players of all time.”
Left-handed like Nadal, the young American Ben Shelton says he has “always tried to learn things” from the Spaniard: “How to behave on and off the court, manage relations with the press, lose with class…” , he detailed.
On the Dutch side, we intend to defend our skin dearly, even if it means pushing Nadal out of the circuit. In addition to Tallon Griekspoor (40th) and Botic van de Zandschulp (80th) in singles, Dutch captain Paul Haarhuis will be able to count on doubles specialist Wesley Koolhof, present last week at the ATP Masters in Turin and recent winner of the Masters 1000 in Paris with Croatian Nikola Mektic.
If a double is necessary, he will be associated with Van de Zandschulp to face Alcaraz and the former world No. 1 in the specialty Marcel Granollers.
Monday at a press conference, Alcaraz finished setting the scene: “For me, for the team and for everyone in Spain, it is going to be an emotional day.”
