Nadal 'emotionally ready' for Davis Cup farewell

Rafael Nadal says helium feels emotionally prepared for ending his vocation astatine adjacent month's Davis Cup Finals but the Spaniard volition lone contention the singles if helium is "ready to win".

The 22-time Grand Slam champion announced past week that he volition discontinue from tennis aft representing Spain successful Malaga, wherever the Davis Cup volition beryllium held from 19-24 November.

Nadal, 38, is presently competing astatine the Six Kings Slam accumulation lawsuit successful Saudi Arabia and volition look long-time rival Novak Djokovic for the last clip connected Saturday.

"Emotionally, I'm definite I'll beryllium ready. Physically and successful presumption of tennis level, determination remains a period near to prepare," Nadal said aft losing to Carlos Alcaraz connected Thursday.

"I volition effort to beryllium successful bully signifier to assistance the squad to win. If I don't consciousness acceptable for the singles, I'll beryllium the archetypal 1 to say.

"Be 100% sure, I volition not beryllium connected tribunal if I don't consciousness acceptable to triumph my match."

After losing his semi-final 6-3 6-3 to compatriot Alcaraz, whom helium partnered successful doubles astatine the Olympics and could bash truthful again astatine the Davis Cup, Nadal volition conscionable Djokovic successful the third-place match.

Serb Djokovic, the lone antheral to person won much Slams than Nadal with 24, was beaten 6-2 6-7 (0-7) 6-4 by satellite fig 1 Jannik Sinner, who volition look Alcaraz for the $6m (£4.5m) prize money.

"To person Novak successful beforehand [of me], it's similar a nostalgic thing," said Nadal, who has won 29 of his 60 meetings with Djokovic.

"We've played each different a lot, truthful it'll beryllium amusive to play each different again 1 much clip successful this match. Hopefully we tin make a bully amusement and bully level of entertainment."

On Alcaraz, who astatine 21 has already won 4 majors and looks acceptable to conflict 23-year-old Sinner for years to come, Nadal said: "He's going to bash precise good with what he's got. He's learning each the time.

"We tin spot he's processing successful each way. But of people I'll beryllium acceptable whenever helium wants to telephone me."

Saudi Arabia has invested heavy successful athletics since 2021, erstwhile the country's Crown Prince made it a cardinal portion of his strategy to diversify the economy.

However, the Gulf kingdom has been criticised for its quality rights violations and accused of that concern and the hosting of high-profile events to amended its planetary estimation - a process known arsenic 'sportswashing'.