New Delhi: It might be his final week on the professional tennis tour, but Rafael Nadal isn’t willing it to overshadow Spain’s quest to win the Davis Cup.
The final leg of the tournament is being held in Malaga and Nadal dearly wants to end his career with silverware on his hands.
Spain take on the Netherlands in the quarter-finals and speaking in a media interaction on Tuesday, Nadal said: “I am not here for retiring. I’m here to try to help the team.
“It’s of course going to be my last week on the professional tour, but at the end, we are here in a teams competition.”
The 22-time Grand Slam champion said it is important to maintain focus and keep your emotions in check.
“The most important thing here is to stay all focused on what we have to do, that is play tennis and to do it very well. Because the rival is going to be difficult, and the conditions are difficult too. So then the emotions are going to be for the end.”
No certainty of playing singles
Nadal hasn’t competed in an official singles match getting beaten in the second round of Olympixs in July and his participation in the singles ties against Netherlands remain uncertain.
“Of course when you are not competing very often, it’s a little bit more difficult to hold the level on a constant basis, I’ve had good moments and more difficult moments. I think the improvement is there every day, but, I mean, we have a great team on Spain,” said Nadal.
“All these players on the tour are playing very well, having great seasons. It’s the work of the captain to decide what he feels is better for the team.”
Nadal has trained full tilt for the past six weeks but Spain captain David Ferrer remained non-committal about his plans over the team’s line-up.
Ferrer is spoilt for choice as the Spanish squad has reigning French Open and Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz, Roberto Bautista Agut, Pedro Martinez, and Marcel Granollers.
“I achieved the most important thing for me, because I arrived to this day and I am in peace that I gave all that I had,” said Nadal, on his 23-year-long career.
“I’m going to leave this professional tour with the calm and with the personal satisfaction that I gave my best almost in every single moment.”
Rafael Nadal said it is important to maintain focus and keep your emotions in check despite playing in his last tournament Tennis Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
