"Anything can happen": Netherlands coach wants to spoil Rafael Nadal's Davis Cup farewell

Netherlands Davis Cup team captain Paul Haarhuis has warned Spain’s Rafael Nadal that his team will be looking to spoil his farewell plan. The 38-year-old has already announced that he will retire from professional tennis after the end of the upcoming team-based event in Malaga.

Nadal, who is regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of men’s tennis in the singles category in the Open era, having won as many as 22 Grand Slam titles in the singles category, will replace Spain in the quarterfinal of the Davis Cup against the Netherlands. The opposing team coach, Haarhuis, was recently quoted in a report as warning the legendary Spaniard that his players would like to spoil his farewell plans.

“It's Davis Cup. Anything can happen,” he said. “We have been here now for three years in a row. This is the fourth year in five years. We want more than being in the quarter-finals. So, we're going to have to play well, and that's what we focus on. We're not focusing on who has the pressure. We have to think of our own level. If we play well, we feel we can beat anybody. That's what we focus on.”

Nadal, has struggled with fitness concerns, especially in the latter stages of his career. It was because of this that he missed nearly 12 months of action in 2023. He returned to the court earlier this year but has struggled to continue producing positive results. He suffered an injury in his first outing in the Brisbane International which ruled him out of action from the Australian Open. Later, Nadal withdrew from Wimbledon and the US Open as well. His only appearance in a major event this year came in the French Open where he was knocked out after losing in the first round to Germany’s Alexander Zverev in straight sets with a score of 6-3, 7-6, 6-3.