Retiring Nadal won’t play Davis Cup singles if he’s not feeling good enough

By TALES AZZONI The Associated Press

Spain's tennis player Rafael Nadal smiles during a training session at the Martin Carpena Sports Hall, in Malaga, southern Spain, on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Manu Fernandez]

MADRID (AP) — Rafael Nadal is ready to skip singles matches at the Davis Cup finals if he feels he is not prepared enough to help Spain succeed in his farewell tournament. Nadal is retiring after the Davis Cup in Malaga. The 22-time Grand Slam champion is worn down by too many injuries at the end of his 20 years on tour. The 38-year-old Nadal says on Saturday in an interview published by the Spanish tennis federation that if he doesn’t see himself “ready to have a chance of winning in singles, I’ll be the first who won’t want to play.”