"Thank you Rafa": Tribute to Nadal displayed at Billie Jean King Cup Finals site ahead of retirement

Malaga is preparing for the farewell of Rafael Nadal, and the venue for the Billie Jean King Cup Finals, the Martin Carpena Arena, surprised fans with a tribute poster honoring the 22-time Grand Slam champion. The local hero is set to retire at the same venue in one week during the Davis Cup.

The facade of the Estadio Ciudad de Malaga, an athletics stadium across from the Martin Carpena Arena, also caught attention with a giant banner, reported by AS to reach 15 meters in height and covering 2,600 square meters, visible from the highway passing through the town.

The banner, arranged by the Malaga Provincial Council and City Hall along with the Costa del Sol, features an illustration of Nadal seen from behind with the message "Gracias Rafa" ("Thank You Rafa"). It’s part of a city-wide campaign to honor the former World No. 1, with images and posters displayed throughout Malaga as a tribute.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion will play his final professional event in the Davis Cup Finals, held the week following the Billie Jean King Cup Finals and at the same venue. Nadal will join Team Spain alongside Carlos Alcaraz, Roberto Bautista Agut, Pedro Martínez, and Marcel Granollers.

While the former World No. 1 has been seen training at the Rafa Nadal Academy in recent weeks for his final tournament, his physical condition for the event remains uncertain. Team captain David Ferrer has stated that he’ll wait until the final training sessions to decide whether Nadal will compete in singles or ultimately only participate in doubles.