Rafael Nadal Retirement: What we know so far about next possible opponent, location of final tournament & more

Rafael Nadal dropped a huge bombshell on Thursday, October 10. He confirmed that this year is indeed his final season on the tour, and he will call it a time on his career at the Davis Cup in November.

The Spaniard returned to compete at the start of the season after a year-long hiatus and hasn't performed as per his standards. He did reach a final at the Swedish Open but lost to Nuno Borges.

His other best result was a fourth-round showing at the Madrid Open. He hasn't competed since the Paris Olympics in July, and rumors of his retirement grew more pronounced after he pulled out of the US Open and Laver Cup.

Nadal dropped a video message letting everyone know of his upcoming farewell. He alluded to his injury struggles in the clip, especially the hardships he faced over the last two years. He also felt that this was the right time to bring an end to his professional journey, which turned out to be more successful than he anticipated.

"I'm here to let you know that I am retiring from professional tennis. The reality is that it has been some difficult years, especially the last two. I don't think I have been able to play without difficulties.

"In this life, everything has a beginning and an end. And I think it’s the appropriate time to put an end to a career that has been long and much more successful than I could have ever imagined," - the Spaniard's message.

Nadal was included in the Davis Cup squad last month, and true to his word, he will step up to represent his country one last time. The tournament will have some of the world's best players in the fray, so the former World No. 1 will face some stiff competition on his way out.

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Rafael Nadal's career will come to an end in front of his home crowd at the Davis Cup Finals

Rafael Nadal at the Paris Olympics 2024. (Photo: Getty)

The Davis Cup Finals will be held in Malaga, Spain, from November 19-24, 2024. It is only fitting that Nadal will get to say goodbye to tennis in front of his home crowd. The knockout stage has pitted Spain against the Netherlands, and their tie is scheduled for the first day of the tournament.

If Nadal does play singles, then he could face Botic van de Zandschulp as per David Ferrer, the team captain. Tallon Griekspoor and Jesper de Jong are other possible opponents. He could also team up with Carlos Alcaraz as he did at the Olympics and partake in doubles. The duo could then face Wesley Koolhof along with one of the three aforementioned players.

Should Spain advance to the semifinals, then they will face either Germany or Canada on November 22. The Germans will be led by Jan-Lennard Struff, while Canada will have the likes of Denis Shapovalov and Felix Auger-Aliassime in its ranks.

If the Spaniards advance to the final, then they could be up against one of the following four teams - Italy, Argentina, USA, or Australia. Defending champions Italy are the most likely to make the cut, given the year World No. 1 Jannik Sinner is having.

While the Davis Cup will be his official sendoff, Nadal is scheduled to compete in an exhibition tournament before that. He will travel to Saudi Arabia for the Six Kings Slam from October 16-19, which will also feature Novak Djokovic, among other big names.