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Rafael Nadal to be honoured with giant canvas tribute at retirement venue

Davis Cup 2024 Finals will be the final professional event for Rafael Nadal.

The Davis Cup 2024 Finals will be starting in a few days as Rafael Nadal will be gearing up for his farewell event. He will be seen with his fellow Spaniards in Malaga, Spain. The Jose Maria Martin Carpena Arena has already given a peek of what is about to come. In a Twitter post by the Malaga city council, a huge banner could be seen which paid a tribute to Nadal.

The 2,600 m²  sized banner was put up on the Malaga city athletics stadium. The banner read ‘Thank you Rafa’ in Spanish alongside his figure which is almost 15m in size. Fans will be hoping to see the legend in action as they had last seen him during the Six Kings slam. Nadal had earlier played singles and doubles at the Paris Olympics 2024.

The Davis Cup 2024 Finals is expected to start from November 19. The opening tie will witness hosts Spain take on Netherlands. Spain will be led by Carlos Alcaraz as he will be joined by Pedro Martinez, Roberto Bautista Agut and Nadal. The doubles event will see Marcel Granollers pairing up with one of his teammates.

Spain’s captain David Ferrer will be aiming to take his team to their first title since 2019. The Spaniards are eyeing their seventh title overall and had lost in the quarter-finals last season. This time they will be playing to pay a fitting tribute to their gladiator as he could bid farewell to the sport with the prestigious trophy.

Rafael Nadal

 

Nadal will be in the Davis Cup team for the first time since 2019. He made his debut in the event in 2004 against Czechia and lost the singles battle against Jiri Novak. Since losing his opening match in the event, Nadal has gone on to win 29 consecutive singles matches. The 38-year-old has not lost a singles match ever since.

This time due to injury concerns fans will mostly not see Nadal in action. His presence alone will motivate the team to bring out their best against Netherlands. Nadal will be cheering for his teammates on the court. The former world No # 1 will be ready for a final battle in front of the homecrowd.

“I just don’t know if I have the confidence”

Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese is one of the new faces of women’s basketball.

As such, fans are always looking forward to scoops on what’s going on in Reese’s personal life, as basketball stars have become celebrities both on and off the court. To connect more with fans, Reese started her own podcast, Unapologetically Angel.

In the show’s latest episode, Reese sat down what celebrity stylist Law Roach, and the topic of dating shorter men, like a-list actress Zendaya’s high-profile relationship with Spiderman co-star Tom Holland, came up.

“I love Zendaya’s confidence,” Reese stated.

“But I just don’t know if I have the confidence to date a man shorter than me.”

She went on to explain: “In my world, it is uncommon. Like, as an athlete, it’s kind of uncommon.”

“But you never know, you may fall in love with a short king,” Roach said.

“My short king might be out there,” Reese responded. “I’m waiting for you; I’m looking for you.”

“Well I have a chance,” one person on Twitter convinced himself.

“Why would she bring up Tom and Zendaya height difference to their close friend,” one fan said, noting Roach’s relationship with Holland and Zendaya.

It’ll be interesting to see if Reese ever decides to go public with a shorter guy.

Angel Reese warns NBA prospect, 17, about dating older women – as fans think she’s referencing a WAG

Angel Reese gave a serious warning to Kiyan Anthony, a 17-year-old basketball prospect, about his love life as she welcomed him onto her podcast.

Kiyan, son of basketball legend Carmelo, is set to announce his college decision in two weeks in a big step for a career that many have predicted will see him follow his dad into the NBA.

But as his fame and profile grows, WNBA star Reese gave him a serious warning about his life away from the court in his ‘Unapologetically Angel’ appearance.

‘You need to be careful,’ she said. ‘When you go to the league – this is coming from ‘sis’ – even when you’re in college, you need to be careful with these women.

‘No, for real. One slip up – you be seeing these stories? Ki, don’t do it. I’m coming after y’all. These women – because you’re 17 – it’s the women you’ve got to worry about that’s a lot older too. Be careful.’

The viral clip has been viewed over three million times on X and while plenty of fans are praising Reese for looking out for Anthony, other fans also think she is referencing Draya Michelle.

The 39-year-old Michelle just had a child with Houston Rockets star Jalen Green who, at 22 years old, is the same age as her oldest son.

‘Draya caught a stray, lol,’ said one fan in the replies, while another commented: ‘Angel is talking to straight to Draya.’

A different X user wrote back: ‘Might as well say Draya and call it a day.’

Reese also had some advice for Kiyan when he said he planned to mainly host parties at his house instead of going out.

‘You can’t be having anybody over there,’ she told him. ‘And you tell them girls to drop their phone at the door.

‘It’s hard to tell somebody that, but if they don’t respect that, they gotta leave. Just make sure nobody recording.’

Reese herself has seen her own profile rise dramatically off the back of her rookie WNBA season with Chicago Sky.

Earlier this week, she wowed in a red carpet appearance at a fashion awards in New York.

Reese’s first WNBA season ended early due to a wrist injury that required surgery but she is expected to be ready to play in the new Unrivaled league that launches in January.

Rafael Nadal’s Davis Cup singles chances assessed by Spain captain after ‘talks’

Rafael Nadal is expected to feature at the Davis Cup in what will be his last-ever event.

Spanish Davis Cup captain David Ferrer has hinted Rafael Nadal is likely to be involved in the Davis Cup singles event next month in Malaga.

Nadal has featured in just one event since the Paris Olympics, where he represented Spain in both the singles and doubles.

The 22-time Grand Slam winner lost both of his matches at the Six Kings Slam earlier this month – an exhibition event held in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh.

Nadal was brushed aside by compatriot and 2024 Olympics doubles partner Carlos Alcaraz, before suffering another straight sets defeat against Novak Djokovic in his second and final Riyadh outing.

And with Nadal’s curtain call on the horizon, speculation surrounding his involvement in the singles event at the Davis Cup has been growing.

But according to skipper Ferrer, there’s every chance the King of Clay could be involved at the event in the south of Spain.

Speaking to Spanish outlet Marca, Ferrer said: “I’m the captain and I’m the one who has to decide. I have a lot of confidence in Rafa because I’ve lived with him all my career and I know his honesty if he sees himself capable of competing or not.

“My idea after talking to him is that he’s ready to play.

“I spoke with Rafa on Wednesday, I am also in constant contact with his coach Carlos Moya and his agent Carlos Costa.

Rafael Nadal

 

“They update me very regularly. I’ll decide in Malaga, when I see how he trains. But the same will happen with the rest of the players. If Nadal trains at a good level and is in good physical shape, that’s an alternative, of course.”

On what it would mean to go all the way in Malaga, Ferrer added: “I would be very satisfied if he finished happy and playing well. Does it mean to win? Well yes, the ideal would be a victory, but not for me but for everything he has achieved.

“The problem is that it’s something you can’t control. What happens in Malaga will not change his life or career. But on a personal level, I would like him to leave tennis with good memories.”

Ferrer has also admitted he’d like to see Nadal take over his current position as Spain’s Davis Cup captain in the future, continuing: “Rafa would be a great Davis Cup captain because he loves this competition.

“With the humility he has, he would be a very good captain. He would bring a lot to the young players and, on top of that, he has the personality, which is important to occupy the chair.”

The action gets underway in Malaga on November 19 and runs until November 24.

‘I had night out with Rafael Nadal – you wouldn’t catch Roger Federer doing what we were’

Thanasi Kokkinakis has noted exactly how different Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are during a night on the tiles, the Australian citing how Rafa is far wilder

Thanasi Kokkinakis has detailed exactly how different Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are on a night out. The Australian tennis ace currently sits at a respectable 87th in the ATP singles rankings, yet to make it past the third round of a Grand Slam on his own.

At 28, the Adelaide native has shared the court with all-time great Federer on just one occasion – upsetting him in shocking fashion in the round of 64 at the 2018 ATP Masters 1000 in Miami. He has meanwhile met ‘King of Clay’ Nadal twice in his career, bested in the round of 64 at the 2014 Australian Open before giving the Spaniard a walkover at the US Open in 2019.

And while many tennis fans will have had heated debates over who was the better Federer and Nadal on the courts, with a combined 42 Grand Slam victories and three Olympic gold medals between them, Kokkinakis has gave his insight into who is the better company on a night out.

Reflecting on his career and brushing shoulders with some of tennis’ greatest stars, he explained to fellow pro Felix Mischker on the tennis Brothers YouTube channel: “I heard Rafa doesn’t mind a night out.

“I had one night out with him in Acapulco a while ago at the player’s party thing. I didn’t mind a tequila, obviously within reason within tournament. Fed’s is classy, so a wine or champagne.”

Rafael Nadal

Kokkinakis also claimed that 24-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic would also be a hoot to go to town with, after seeing the Serbian’s festivities on social media after his Olympic gold medal win over Carlos Alcaraz this summer. He added: “I reckon Novak would be loose. I have seen some videos. I reckon Novak would be a fun night out.”

One of the highlights of Kokkinakis’ career thus far undoubtedly came in the form of his 2022 Australian Open championship win alongside fellow countryman, Nick Kyrgios. Nicknamed ‘The Special Ks’, Kokkinakis and Kyrgios dispatched of top seeds Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic, as well as Ariel Behar and Gonzalo Escobar on their way to the quarter-finals.

They then bested Tim Putz and Michael Venus to advance to the semi-finals, where they met Marcel Grannolers and Horacio Zebballos – besting the pair to meet Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell in the tournament’s first all-Australian doubles final since 1980.

Kokkinakis and Kyrgios ultimately bested their fellow countrymen with scores of 7-5 and 6-4 in straight sets to be crowned champions of the event. As a result, Kokkinakis broke into the top 50 in the ATP’s doubles rankings, sitting pretty at 46th. However, the 28 year old is yet to replicate the same levels of success in the doubles game, failing to make it past the third-round of a major since.

Rafa Nadal is already making appearances after his retirement announcement at the 2024 Davis Cup Finals. The Spaniard has already arrived in Riyadh, the city in Saudi Arabia, to compete in the Six Kings Slam from October 16 to 19. A video was recorded upon his arrival at the tournament, where Nadal was warmly welcomed to the Arab facilities. During the upcoming week, Rafa will share the court with none other than Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, Jannik Sinner, and Holger Rune.

Babolat reveals the number of rackets Nadal has used in his career and other curious factsThe career of Rafael Nadal will always be associated with the tennis brand Babolat, which has experienced a spectacular takeoff since the Balearic player emerged and

After Rafael Nadal announced his imminent retirement this week, Toni Nadal has been busy analyzing his nephew’s incredible career.

The inevitable but no less difficult news of Rafael Nadal’s retirement was announced on Thursday, sending the tennis world into another state of mourning.

With Roger Federer having called it quits at the Laver Cup two years ago and Andy Murray ending his tennis journey at the Paris Olympics, a totally new era is more or less bedding in.

Novak Djokovic claimed a ‘big part’ of him has left the sport after his ‘Big Four’ colleagues have nearly all retired from the game.

Now, with Nadal’s career being carefully rummaged through, Toni Nadal has been asked about his nephew’s earnings compared to that of Serena Williams.

Toni Nadal says what he thinks about Serena Williams earning more than Rafael Nadal

In Nadal’s retirement announcement video, he paid tribute to his uncle, saying he was the “real reason he started playing tennis,” before thanking him for guiding him through “difficult” situations.

With Williams having earned more than Nadal, his uncle explained how male players didn’t prioritize prize money earnings due to their substantial income from endorsements.

In an interview with Marca, Toni Nadal reflected on his nephew’s illustrious career compared to that of Williams.

“Serena Williams and Sharapova earned more than Rafael and they deserved it because they generated it. I prefer to watch women’s tennis than men’s tennis because I don’t see anything in men’s tennis. I like the points to last longer.”

“For some players like Alcaraz, Sinner, Rafa or Federer it doesn’t matter because they already have a lot of income outside of tennis,” he continued.

“My nephew never thought about how much money he earned in tournaments. I remember one year in Australia, he was partnered with Tommy Robredo and wanted to retire. Robredo said there was a lot of money and Rafael retired.”

Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal has always represented everything noble about tennis

Nadal has long embodied the nobility of tennis, exemplifying sportsmanship, humility, and respect for his opponents.

His relentless work ethic, never-say-die attitude, and ability to win with grace and lose with dignity have made him a role model both on and off the court.

An outpouring of responses from the tennis world has seen so many players react to the news, most notably being Roger Federer who sent Nadal a moving retirement message.

Nadal’s fierce competitiveness is always tempered by his deep respect for the game’s traditions and values.

Whether in victory or defeat, he carries himself with unmatched humility, inspiring players and fans alike. His career is a testament to the power of dedication, integrity, and passion in sport.

2024 was the first time since 2022 that none of the Big Three won a Grand Slam, with Novak Djokovic only managing to win gold at Paris 2024.

Rafael Nadal announced his retirement recently, revealing the news via social media. The Spaniard’s final tournament will be the Davis Cup finals this November, marking an end to an illustrious career which saw him clinch 22 Grand Slam titles.

In a video, Nadal said, “I’m here to let you know that I am retiring from professional tennis. The reality is that it has been some difficult years, these last two especially. I don’t think I have been able to play without limitations. It is obviously a difficult decision, one that has taken me some time to make.”

He also revealed, “But I am very excited that my last tournament will be the final of the Davis Cup and representing my country. I think I’ve come full circle, since one of my first great joys as a professional tennis player was the Davis Cup final in Seville in 2004.”

Rafael Nadal

After Nadal’s retirement, Novak Djokovic will be the only active player from the Big Three. Speaking to the media team of Shanghai Masters, Roger Federer pointed out that he could feel a ‘change of guard’ in both women’s and men’s tennis.

“You can feel the changing of the guard: Serena Williams retired, Murray retired and Rafa is getting closer and closer. Novak had a tough year overall, but then he won the gold medal at the Olympics and achieved what he wanted. It was incredible for him to achieve that,” he said.

“You feel everything changing. Sinner and Alcaraz have won two Slams each, which shows that changes are happening. They are both very consistent and it’s great to watch them play. It was impressive to see Alcaraz live at the Laver Cup. He’s an incredible player and I think people will enjoy watching them,” he added.

2024 was the first time since 2022 that none of the Big Three won a Grand Slam, with Djokovic only managing to win gold at Paris 2024. Meanwhile, even Andy Murray retired after the Paris Olympics.

Ticket prices for Rafael Nadal’s final tournament has seen its prices soar in reselling platforms.

Rafael Nadal announced his retirement recently, revealing that he would last be in action in Spain’s Davis Cup tie vs Netherlands in November. He will be featuring alongside Carlos Alcaraz, Roberto Bautista Agut, Pablo Carreno Busta and Marcel Granollers.

As it will be the legend’s final tournament, fans have gone into a state of meltdown to book tickets for the event. Tickets on official platforms were sold out weeks ago as Nadal is pairing up with Alcaraz. But with the retirement announcement, resellers have seen prices skyrocket.

Rafael Nadal brandishes the spoils of his U.S. Open final victory over Russian Daniil Medvedev on Sunday. The Spaniard’s win in New York City — his fourth U.S. Open title — gives him 19 career individual grand slam wins, just one shy of rival Roger Federer’s record.

 

On Viagogo, price has reached 34500 Euros, which is 31 lakh approximately.

Announcing his retirement via a video on social media, Nadal said, “I’m here to let you know that I am retiring from professional tennis. The reality is that it has been some difficult years, these last two especially. I don’t think I have been able to play without limitations. It is obviously a difficult decision, one that has taken me some time to make.”

“But in this life, everything has a beginning and an end, and I think it’s the appropriate time to put an end to a career that has been long and much more successful than I could have ever imagined.

“But I am very excited that my last tournament will be the final of the Davis Cup and representing my country. I think I’ve come full circle, since one of my first great joys as a professional tennis player was the Davis Cup final in Seville in 2004.”

Nadal has been ranked world no. 1 in singles for 209 weeks and has ended as the year-end no. 1 five times. He has clinched 22 Grand Slam singles titles, whih also consists of a record-haul of 14 French Open trophies.

Nadal also has won 92 ATP-level singles titles, and an Olympic gold medal.

  • Nadal announced retirement from tennis in October 2024
  • Spaniard won 22 Grand Slam titles, including a record 14 French Open crowns
  • Real Madrid the club Nadal is a lifelong supporter of, star has spoken previously about becoming club president

    With tennis legend Rafael Nadal’s retirement from the game now made official, all eyes are focused on what the ‘King of Clay’ will do next.

    Nadal revealed his decision to retire from professional tennis on Thursday 10 October, ending a glistening career that saw him win 22 Grand Slam titles – second on the all-time list behind Novak Djokovic – in total, 14 of which came at the French Open.

    The Spaniard’s racquet will officially be hung up after the Davis Cup finals are played out in November, but it’s not just his tennis prowess that he’s been known for.

    Indeed, Nadal has been the face of some of the world’s most iconic brands, including Nike – his signature headband a staple of his apparel ever since he burst onto the scene.

    One other area of interest for Nadal is his unadulterated love for Real Madrid. A lifelong supporter of the club, he is a close friend of club president Florentino Perez and is regularly seen attending games at the Santiago Bernabeu. He was made an honorary member in 2011.

    Nadal’s love for the club goes as far as perhaps taking over as president once Perez feels it eventually time to move on – a desire he confessed to Spanish outlet Movistar in September 2024.

    Could Rafael Nadal become Real Madrid’s next club president?

    “Would I like to be [president]? I think so,” he said. “I think I’d like to. But there are a lot of things. Right now there’s nothing to say because we have the best possible president [Perez].

“What I think today, I might not think tomorrow. There are lots of twists and turns in life. You have to know if you’re qualified to do this kind of thing. I’m quite realistic. I know my limitations. I don’t know if I’d be capable or not. Time will tell.”

Perez has spoken highly of Nadal in the past, despite the tennis great’s reservations about whether or not he could do the job, and went as far to say that he’d be a “magnificent choice” in 2018. “He is the best Spanish sportsman of all time, but beyond what he has achieved and continues to achieve in tennis, his figure represents the best values ​​of sport,” he continued.

“Real Madrid fans carry him in our hearts and we are proud to have a great ambassador for Madrid in the world.”

Whether or not Nadal actually comes to power remains to be seen, but there’s no question that his iconic status in sport would make him a hugely respected figure in boardrooms all around the world.

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