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Rafael Nadal & Carlos Alcaraz Hit Practice Court at Davis Cup

Watch Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz prepare to play in the 2024 Davis Cup.
Pat Benson|
Jul 28, 2024; Paris, France; Rafal Nadal (ESP) and Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) talk during their match against Maximo Gonzales (ARG) and Andres Molteni (ARG) in the men's tennis doubles first round during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade Roland Garros.
Jul 28, 2024; Paris, France; Rafal Nadal (ESP) and Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) talk during their match against Maximo Gonzales (ARG) and Andres Molteni (ARG) in the men's tennis doubles first round during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade Roland Garros. | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

The tennis world is bracing itself emotionally for the end of Rafael Nadal's legendary career. The 22-time Grand Slam champion announced his retirement in early October, with the Davis Cup serving as his final professional tournament.

Nadal choosing to represent Spain while playing in Málaga makes perfect sense. While the 38-year-old has made comments about sitting out the singles events if it means helping Spain, no one is going to let that happen.

So, that means it is officially crunch time for preparation. Over the weekend, the Davis Cup's social media team has shared behind-the-scene pictures and videos of Nadal's training. We have seen the legendary player getting accustomed the indoor hard courts in Spain and balancing the never-ending stream of well-wishers.

Earlier today, Nadal linked up with former doubles teammate Carlos Alcaraz. The 21-year-old is winding down a long and successful season, including a gutsy battle at the ATP Finals, where he played while sick.

Despite the elephant in the room of Nadal's final professional tournament, all of the players are in good spirits. Alcaraz is no longer wearing the nasal strip that he used during the ATP Finals in Turin, Italy.

Meanwhile, Nadal appears to be embracing his last few days as a professional tennis player. While Nadal is known as the King of Clay courts, his loyalty to representing Spain in international competitions comes first.

Nadal is expected to play in singles and doubles events. The bittersweet goodbye will also be the end of the "Nadalcaraz" doubles team. Tennis fans are choosing to smile because it happened and not cry because it is over.

The last time Nadal played was at the Six Kings Slam exhibition in Saudi Arabia. However, Nadal could not have chosen a better tournament to bid farewell to the sport. Tennis fans can follow Sports Illustrated's Serve on SI for all the most important news from the sport.

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Pat Benson
PAT BENSON

Pat Benson covers professional tennis for Serve on Sports Illustrated, reporting on ATP and WTA events worldwide. From Challenger tournaments to Grand Slams, he brings readers in-depth coverage, daily recaps, and exclusive interviews with some of the biggest names in the sport. With a decade of experience in sports journalism, Pat is recognized as a trusted voice in tennis media. You can contact him at 1989patbenson@gmail.com.

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