"I don't have the ego to need that" - Rafael Nadal on not requiring a farewell tour as retirement looms

It's no secret that Rafael Nadal will be retiring at this week's Davis Cup Finals in Malaga, and the Spaniard will be hoping to leave everything on the court as he plays in his final professional tournament.

The former World No.1 struggled with injuries over the past few years, before announcing this summer that he would be hanging up his racket at the Davis Cup in front of his home crowd. Although thousands of fans and ATP colleagues have pleaded with the 22-time Grand Slam champion to delay his retirement, Nadal has his mind set on calling it quits after the Davis Cup.

In the modern sports era, superstar athletes tend to participate in lengthy farewell tours that see them compete in different countries as fans gather to watch them play one last time. However, Nadal has made it clear he does not want to indulge in such ceremonies.

"So at the end of the day, all relate to the question of myself is about, OK, I can hold for one more year, but why?" said Nadal in a press conference in Malaga. "To say goodbye in every single tournament, I don't have the ego to need that.
"So, at the end is about a feeling that I have been thinking for a long time. For me, today don't make sense or to keep going knowing that I don't have the real chance to be competitive the way that I like to be competitive, because my body is not able to give me the possibility to do that very often."

The 38-year old's last match came at the Six Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia, where he competed against the likes of long-time rival Novak Djokovic and Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz. Nadal will team up with Alcaraz at the 2024 Davis Cup as the duo represent Spain, with their first match set for November 19 against Netherlands.