“It is obviously a difficult decision, one that has taken me some time to make,” an emotional Rafael Nadal said while confirming his retirement on October 11th. The 22-time Grand Slam champion announced that the Davis Cup would be his final tournament. The event is set to captivate fans worldwide from November 19. With Novak Djokovic already confirming his presence for the event, the curtains have now fallen over the presence of his archrival, Roger Federer. Will he be there for the last dance?

Rafael Nadal, back on October 10th, announced that he will retire from professional tennis. In a video posted on his X (formerly Twitter) account, he said, “The reality is it has been some difficult years, these last two especially. I don’t think I have been able to play without limitations.” Nadal is a four-time Davis Cup champion with Spain-in 2004, 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2019. Not only this, he also has a 29-1 record in the tournament in singles and a win percentage of 96.7, the highest for anyone who has played more than 15 matches.

In his pre-tournament press conference, Rafael Nadal addressed the possibility of Roger Federer attending the event. “It’s a different situation. I was there to play. There, we were teammates. Here, we are a Spanish team. I didn’t talk to Roger. I think Roger has a busy schedule. By the way, of course, it’s going to be my last week on the professional tour, but I don’t think it’s going to be my last goodbye. So there is going to be other chances to do something.”

Interestingly, Nadal and Federer share a remarkable history. This also includes the emotional moment when Nadal bid farewell to Federer at the Laver Cup in 2022. The featured in the doubles match against Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe. In a match that was the Swiss star’s last match, he lost against the American duo in a 3-set thriller, 6-4, 6-7, 9-11. Whereas playing One Last Dance at the Six Kings Slam in Riyadh, Djokovic beat Nadal 6-2, 7-6 (7-5) in the third-place playoff match in front of a packed house.

The spotlight now falls on whether Federer will join Djokovic to celebrate Nadal’s legacy and bring another memorable moment to their enduring friendship and rivalry. While the Serbian has confirmed his presence, another member of the Big 4, Andy Murray, could also be there for Nadal.

Andy Murray could also join Novak Djokovic to celebrate Rafael Nadal’s last dance in Malaga

The tournament director for the Davis Cup, Feliciano Lopez, in an interview opened up on the Spaniard’s final performance at the Davis Cup. When asked about who could potentially be there for Nadal during his final match, he mentioned the surprise name of Andy Murray. Having played each other 24 times, Nadal leads the score by 17-7.

“I think almost everyone in the world wants to be present for this moment! Novak Djokovic has said he wants to be there and also Andy Murray,” said Lopez. However, the real problem arrives in fitting all those big names into the stands. “There are many more who want to be there and I don’t know if we are going to have seats for everyone. As you can imagine, all the tennis players that played in his time want to be there. So I’m sure it’s going to be a very special moment,” concluded Lopez.

Thus, as the world readies itself for Rafael Nadal’s last dance, it would be interesting to see who will be there in the stands. With Roger Federer missing out, will the other members of the Big 4 be there? What are your thoughts on this? Do let us know in the comments below!