Rafael Nadal joins Spanish Davis Cup squad for Malaga

The Davis Cup Finals will take place from 19 to 24 November in Malaga. Host country Spain will face the Netherlands and the home crowd in the quarter finals will likely see 22-time Major winner Rafael Nadal in actionDavid Ferrer named five players who want to win the first Davis Cup title since 2019 for the red team.

Carlos Alcaraz leads Spain, with Roberto Bautista Agut, Pablo Carreno Busta and Marcel Granollers joining the Major champions. Rafa has played 19 singles matches this year, recovering from a career-threatening hip injury and extending his incredible tennis journey.

Nadal reached the final of the ATP 250 Bastad, fighting for the ATP trophy two decades after his first major title match. Yet the veteran has yet to show his familiar game, struggling and taking a break after an early Olympic defeat to Novak Djokovic.

The 38-year-old withdrew from the Laver Cup after feeling uncompetitive and decided to extend his break from the sport.

Rafael Nadal could represent Spain in the Davis Cup final in Malaga.

However, the most decorated Spanish athlete of all time would love to help his country regain the Davis Cup title in front of a home crowd in November.

Rafa and Carlos played well at the Olympics, missed a chance to fight for a medal and may be preparing for more double duty in Malaga. Nadal injured his hip at last year’s Australian Open, missed the rest of the year and dropped out of the top 600.

The Spaniard was keen to extend his career and end it on his own terms and began his comeback in the first week of 2024. He reached the quarter-finals in Brisbane but missed the Australian Open with more hip problems. Rafa injured his abdominal muscle in February and stayed off the court until April.

He won once in Barcelona and three more times in Madrid, before losing early to Hubert Hurkacz in Rome.

The ultimate Roland Garros champion faced the world number one.

4 Alexander Zverev in the first round on Court Philippe-Chatrier and fell after more than three hours, giving everything but experiencing the earliest exit on his beloved event. Nadal missed the grass season and remained on clay, entering Bastad as his final preparation for the Olympics.

The Spaniard reached his first ATP final in over two years, weathering a pair of marathons before succumbing to Nuno Borges after running out of gas. Rafa was competing in his fourth Olympics in Paris, beating Marton Fucsovics and setting up a clash with his biggest rival, Novak Djokovic.

The Serb ousted the Spaniard, staying on course for the title and forcing the veteran to concentrate on his doubles duties. Nadal and Alcaraz reached the quarterfinals, fought well, but lost in straight sets to Krajicek and Ram.

Rafa withdrew from the US Open and the Laver Cup, leaving the Davis Cup Finals as his only official event left for the season.