Carlos Alcaraz hoping Davis Cup Finals in Malaga will not be Rafael Nadal's 'last dance' - ‘I miss him’

Published 26/09/2024 at 08:15 GMT

Rafael Nadal will be joined in Spain's Davis Cup Final 8 squad by Carlos Alcaraz, Roberto Bautista Agut, Pablo Carreno Busta, and Marcel Granollers. The Final 8 tournament takes place between November 19 and 24 in Malaga, with Nadal yet to shed light on his future in tennis. Meanwhile, the current focus for Alcaraz is on a China Open first-round clash against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard on Friday.

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Carlos Alcaraz is relishing the prospect of linking up with Rafael Nadal again at the Davis Cup Finals, and will savour every moment they share on and off the court.

Nadal is entering the twilight of his career, and has not featured since representing Spain in the Olympic Games this summer.

The 22-time Grand Slam winner did not feature at the US Open and was pencilled in to compete in the Laver Cup - a competition between Team Europe and Team World - but withdrew before the start.

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The Davis Cup Finals in November will be the next opportunity that Alcaraz has to work with his legendary compatriot, after Nadal was named in Spain's preliminary squad.

“I am going to enjoy that time. Hopefully, it’s not going to be the last time for him. Obviously, it’s always great having Rafa around. I miss him. I’m not going to lie, I miss him in the Laver Cup,” Alcaraz told reporters in Beijing.

“Obviously, as much time as I can spend with him, for me it’s a privilege. I don’t want to think that it is a potential last dance for him in Malaga. I just want to think that I will be trying to live or to enjoy his time around, to enjoy seeing him on court as much as I can.

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“Obviously, it is a great support having him in the team. He can bring a lot of experience to the Davis Cup. For me, it’s going to be my first Davis Cup Final.

“It’s going to be a great experience for me. To have the chance to spend more time off the court, on the court as well, with him, it’s going to be great for Team Spain and I think for the country as well, that we’re playing in Spain.”

Spain's Davis Cup captain David Ferrer believes that Nadal will know when the time is right to retire.

"It's a very personal matter; everyone retires how they want or how they feel like it," Ferrer explained, via Europa Press.

"I am not able to say what the ideal retirement is. You stop doing something that you have done all your life, that you have worked on all your life, and suddenly you stop doing it. As long as he is happy, it's good enough for me."

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