Nadal Included in Spain Squad for Davis Cup Finals

Rafael Nadal has been selected for Spain's squad competing in the Davis Cup Final Eight, set for November. The 38-year-old former world number one joins a roster that includes world number three Carlos Alcaraz, along with Roberto Bautista Agut, Pablo Carreno Busta, and Marcel Granollers.

Nadal has not competed since the Paris 2024 Olympics, where he was defeated in singles by Novak Djokovic and lost in the quarter-finals of the doubles event while partnering with Alcaraz. He withdrew from the US Open in August due to fitness concerns and also missed the Laver Cup that took place last weekend.

Spain, a six-time Davis Cup champion with their last title in 2019, will face the Netherlands in the quarter-finals, which start on 19 November. Nadal stated that he did not participate in the US Open because he would not "be able to give my 100% at this time." He later pulled out of the Laver Cup, expressing that he believed there are "other players who can help the team deliver the win."

Earlier this year, Nadal missed the Australian Open due to injury and chose not to compete at Wimbledon to focus on the Olympics. While he has previously indicated he might retire later this year, he clarified before the French Open that he was not "100%" certain this would be his last appearance at Roland Garros.

The Davis Cup quarter-finals are scheduled from 19 to 21 November, with the semi-finals occurring on consecutive days and the final taking place on Sunday, 24 November. The reigning world number one, Jannik Sinner, will lead defending champions Italy, who are looking to be the first team to retain the title since 2013.