Rafa Nadal is already in Malaga. And as expected, the madness of seeing him broke out. The surroundings of the Martín Carpena Sports Palace, where the Davis Cup takes place, have been ready to receive it. Embellished with banners, posters on lampposts and the metro station painted in their honor, a large banner of more than 2,600 square meters with large white letters on a blue background was even placed right in front. “Thank you Rafa,” it reads, accompanied by a nearly 15-meter-high silhouette of the best Spanish tennis player of all time.
And since Nadal posted this video on social networks on October 10 in which he announced that he would retire from professional tennis, the city has turned to say goodbye to him. at the very top.
In fact, you only have to walk the streets of the capital of the Costa del Sol and talk to some of its neighbors to see that many do not even want to think that there are only a few days left to see Nadal in his last tournament. Almost everyone believes, at least, that the man from Manacor will reach the final and that his last match will be delayed as long as possible.
Nadal’s reception in Malaga
Rafa Nadal arrived this Thursday afternoon in Malaga to begin today, Friday, the preparation with the Spanish team for the Davis Cup final, which will take place in this Andalusian city from November 19 to 24.
Accompanied by his coach, Carlos Moyá, dressed in a black cap and a white t-shirt with a slogan in capital letters, the emblematic “COME ON», his battle cry at every match, Nadal landed at the private flight terminal of Pablo Ruiz Picasso airport in Malaga around 6:30 p.m.
As reported by EFE, the former tennis player was waiting for him there Feliciano Lopez, tournament director, with whom he went by van directly to the Davis Cup players’ concentration hotel, the Higueron Resort in the coastal town of Fuengirola, a twenty-minute drive from the José María Martín Carpena Sports Palace , headquarters of the Davis Tasse team.
A dozens of fans They were waiting for him upon his arrival, to which Nadal went, signing autographs and taking photos. With a shy smile, he immediately answered questions from the media present: “Of course! “I’m ready, otherwise I wouldn’t be here,” replied the Mallorcan tennis player.
This Friday, early in the morning, the tennis player from Manacor must test the central court of the Martín Carpena in the first training of the Spanish team, which will not yet have the presence of Carlos Alcaraz because he is in Turin (Italy) to compete in the ATP final.
Unknown about his last match
We still don’t know what role of Rafa Nadal in his last competition as a professional, a decision that must be confirmed by the captain of the Navy, David Ferrer, but it is certain that the Davis Cup will host a tribute worthy of his legacy as a tennis player who won twenty-two Grand Slams.
Spain will open the competition next Tuesday against The Netherlands in the first of four quarter-final duels (5:00 p.m.), with all tickets sold out for weeks and resold at exorbitant prices due to the anticipation generated by the tennis player from Manacorí.
It should be remembered that Nadal played his last official tournament in Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where he was eliminated by Novak Djokovic in his second match and couldn’t go far in doubles with Alcaraz. Then, a month ago, the Spaniard participated in the “Six Kings Slam” in Saudi Arabia, where he lost to the player from Murcia and Belgrade.
Davis Cup Tickets
The anticipation of seeing Rafa Nadal was such that there were people who paid for his ticket until 100,000 euros. Today, on ticket resale platforms like ‘Viagogo’, it is possible to find one for the quarter-finals between Holland and Spain. €4,760.
Resale of tickets in Malaga 🚨
The organization of the final is not responsible for the validity of tickets that have not been purchased directly from official points of sale.
Unauthorized resale of tickets is illegal in Spain.
– Davis Cup (@CopaDavis) November 12, 2024
But faced with this pricing madness, the Davis Cup organization was forced to act. Thus, in a message published on the social network illegal in Spain, therefore, they are not responsible for the validity of those that have not been purchased directly in official points of sale.
