Rafael Nadal, who has dominated for nearly two decades, is gearing up to bid farewell to the sport at the Davis Cup Final 8 in Malaga. And before you start speculating, let me jump in and clear the air. The Spaniard isn’t looking to stay on the sidelines and watch his teammates do all the heavy lifting. Instead, the former World No. 1 will take to the courts for the first since his Paris Olympics outing. To much surprise, Rafa will face the Dutch tennis player, Botic Van de Zandschulp.

Though not a household name, Zandschulp made notable strides in the season’s latter half after he took out Alcaraz in the second round of the New York Slam. The Dutchman scripted a turnaround days after he revealed contemplating retirement due to his unfortunate string of losses on the tour over 5 months ago. However, he had a change of heart after defeating the four-time Grand Slam winner. Although his triumph was short-lived, seeing as he lost to American Jack Draper in the successive round, the Dutchman is looking to do some damage on the court, only this time, he will battle a different player from Spain.

Zandschulp was born on 4 October 1995. With a career-high singles ranking of No. 22, he has showcased his talent on the ATP Tour. His breakthrough moment came at the 2021 US Open, where he stunned seeded players like Casper Ruud and Diego Schwartzman to reach the quarterfinals. In 2022, he advanced to his first ATP Tour final at the Bavarian International Tennis Championships.

With his team Netherlands all set to take on Alcaraz and Nadal’s team Spain on November 19, this would’ve been a one-sided affair for Nadal had he been in his prime. The dynamic has changed now. Rafa isn’t feeling his best and this could potentially boost Zandschulp’s morale. However, it isn’t as clear as night and day.

The 29-year-old has been struggling to keep up with the tour’s competitiveness for quite some time. After his stunning display in New York, the Dutchman failed to move past the second or third round in most of the events he has participated. He will square off against the Mallorcan native on the back of a qualifying round defeat to Lorenzo Sonego at the Paris Masters.

With the Davis Cup arena draped in Nadal’s colors, fans are ready to witness the Spaniard in action once again. Before kicking off his campaign, Rafa issued a poignant admission wherein he detailed emotions building up to his retirement day.

Rafael Nadal is at ‘peace’ ending his career at the Davis Cup

Unlike many players, Spanish sensation Rafael Nadal wants to go out in style and, of course, a big bang to celebrate his stellar career – home to 22 Major titles and a jaw-dropping 14 French Open wins. Poised to bring laurels to his nation for the last time, Nadal sat down with the reporters in Malaga and iterated his thoughts on retiring during a pre-tournament presser.

Nadal explained how his tennis journey started at the age of 3 and the rest became history. His dedication and passion helped him achieve the greatest triumphs in the sport, a feat, and legacy he is at ‘peace’ to leave behind for generations to come. “At the end, I achieved the most important thing for me, because this day arrived and I am in peace that I gave all that I had. I played, and I practiced since I was seven. I started at three but at that age, I started to work more and more with passion, with love, and with the determination to be as good as possible.”

With just a handful of on-court commitments remaining before his farewell, fans can expect a thrilling showdown in Malaga. Though he seldom throws in the towel, his absence from the tour has left the community clueless about his formidability and whether he can surpass challenges that wouldn’t otherwise need his attention.