Rafael Nadal says he feels emotionally prepared for ending his career at next month’s Davis Cup Finals but the Spaniard will only contest the singles if he is “ready to win”.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion announced last week that he will retire from tennis after representing Spain in Malaga, where the Davis Cup will be held from 19-24 November.
Nadal, 38, is currently competing at the Six Kings Slam exhibition event in Saudi Arabia and will face long-time rival Novak Djokovic for the final time on Saturday.
“Emotionally, I’m sure I’ll be ready. Physically and in terms of tennis level, there remains a month left to prepare,” Nadal said after losing to Carlos Alcaraz on Thursday.
“I will try to be in good shape to help the team to win. If I don’t feel ready for the singles, I’ll be the first one to say.
“Be 100% sure, I will not be on court if I don’t feel ready to win my match.”
After losing his semi-final 6-3 6-3 to compatriot Alcaraz, whom he partnered in doubles at the Olympics and could do so again at the Davis Cup, Nadal will meet Djokovic in the third-place match.
Djokovic, the only man to have won more Slams than Nadal with 24, was beaten 6-2 6-7 (0-7) 6-4 by world number one Jannik Sinner, who will face Alcaraz for the $6m (£4.5m) prize money.
“To have Novak in front [of me], it’s like a nostalgic thing,” said Nadal, who has won 29 of his 60 meetings with Djokovic.
“We’ve played each other a lot, so it’ll be fun to play each other again one more time in this match. Hopefully we can create a good show and good level of entertainment.”
On Alcaraz, who at 21 has already won four majors and looks set to battle 23-year-old Sinner for years to come, Nadal said: “He’s going to do very well with what he’s got. He’s learning all the time.
“We can see he’s developing in every way. But of course I’ll be ready whenever he wants to call me.”
Saudi Arabia has invested heavily in sport since 2021, when the country’s Crown Prince made it a key part of his strategy to diversify the economy.
However, the Gulf kingdom has been criticised for its human rights violations and accused of that investment and the hosting of high-profile events to improve its international reputation – a process known as ‘sportswashing’.
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