Two years ago, Rafael Nadal was right beside Roger Federer when he retired from professional tennis. At the Davis Cup Finals, Nadal is set to hang his racket after a two-decade-long career. However, the 38-year-old has revealed that his former rival Federer may not be there for his farewell ceremony in Malaga.

Federer and Nadal enjoyed a long exhilarating rivalry on the court but still shared a deep respect for each other. As the two dominant forces continued to create a new legacy for men’s tennis, Novak Djokovic arrived on the scene to make it the Big Three.

At the 2022 Laver Cup, both players sobbed as Federer played his final professional career match. The tennis world still remembers the iconic picture of Nadal and Federer in tears.

Nadal is set to follow the Swiss maestro into retirement at the Davis Cup which is expected to begin on November 19. However, he is not expecting his friend Federer to be in Malaga when he hangs up his racket.

During the Spaniard’s press conference, he revealed that Federer has a busy schedule and will not be available for his final match. He added he didn’t talk to his rival-turned-friend about coming to watch his last professional match.

Injuries have plagued Nadal’s career in the past two years and the Spaniard is yet to fully recover from them. He has not played any competitive match since the Paris Olympics in August 2024.

Rafael Nadal will get the farewell ceremony he deserves at the Davis Cup Finals. However, he may not play a single game at the event.

Spanish team captain David Ferrer picked the 38-year-old alongside Carlos Alcaraz, Roberto Bautista Agut, Pedro Martinez, and Marcel Granollers. Nadal has won the Davis Cup, also known as the World Cup of Tennis, four times in his career.

But, his long period of injury-induced inactivity may see him just be a motivational presence in the Spanish team. During the aforementioned press conference, Nadal revealed that he was not worried about life after retirement.

Therefore, Alcaraz is expected to lead the team efficiently when they face the Netherlands on Tuesday (November 19). The 21-year-old is already in Malaga after exiting the ATP Finals in the round-robin stage.