Nadal’s refusal is a lifeline for his friend Feliciano Lopez | Relief

When Rafael Nadal Last Thursday morning, he posted a video announcing that the Davis Cup in November would be his last tournament. sadness and longing took overAnistas, fans and just about anyone it was related to sports and with a racket. However, inside this sadness There was also good news for his good friend Feliciano Lopez. and for the International Tennis Federation (ITF), which continues to resist Davis.

Just as Roger Federer’s withdrawal from the 2022 Laver Cup caused millions of people to turn on the TV that day to see the Swiss farewell, As a professional tennis player, Nadal’s latest rackets are sure to have a similar effect on Davis. The oldest team competition in tennis has been in serious crisis for ten years. the fact that Nadal chose this scenario to hang up his racket It’s an oxygen balloon for organization..

And it is headed by Feliciano Lopez. A man who has fought Nadal a thousand times and who saw him debut in Davis back in February 2004 in the Czech Republic. He is now the director of Finale. which will take place from November 19 to 25 at Martin Carpena in Malaga.

“We are very lucky that you were in Malaga and were able to represent your country again. I know how important Davis was to you, what it means to be able to play in these colors.I’ve seen this up close for years. I just hope you enjoy your last tournament very much,” Feliciano Lopez himself said in a video he uploaded to his social networks a few hours after Nadal’s announcement.We will try to live up to your legend, and obviously it will not be easy.“.

Davis Ticket Madness

Capacity is just over 11,000 spectators. Martin Carpena from Malaga will be packed to capacity for his farewell to Nadal. If before the announcement there were free tickets left for the days on which the matches were scheduled in Spain, now there are not a single ticket left. In fact, when resold, tickets are already asking for thousands of euros. Spain will make its debut on Tuesday 19 November against the Netherlands and, if they win, will play the semi-final on Friday 22 against Germany or Canada. The final will take place on Sunday 24th.

Davis has everything needed to ensure Nadal can say goodbye to tennis in style and in front of a devoted Spanish public. With Carlos Alcaraz as the first sword and Marcel Granollers leading the doubles. Nadal’s idea is to be able to make an individual contribution. However, if you don’t feel physically ready, you have the option to work on previous singles events and focus on doubles.where this is always a guarantee and even more so next to the number one, like Granollers.

But beyond the sporting level, Can the International Federation take advantage of Nadal’s presence to revive the Davis Cup? Competition has been in decline for many years and cannot find a place for himself in the busy schedules of big stars.

The revolution carried out six years ago by Gerard Pique through “Cosmos” he stayed halfway and since then the ITF has not stopped shaking over the format. Many fans don’t even know how the Davis Cup is held. There will be changes again in 2025, with the group stage disappearing and home-away draws reintroduced.

Such was the desire of many players, eager to recapture that special Davis mystique. Now the only thing missing is that the top players don’t abandon the game, as has happened in many releases over the past decade. This year, however, Nadal has been joined by names such as Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Taylor Fritz. An unparalleled opportunity, with millions and millions of television fans, to bring back the shine to the salad bowl..