Rafael Nadal hopes to save his emotions over his retirement until the end of the Davis Cup competition and says the focus remains on Spain’s upcoming quarter-final tie against the Netherlands.
Ahead of the final professional tournament of his career, Nadal and his Spanish teammates spoke to the press in anticipation of the hosts’ clash against the Dutch in Malaga on Tuesday.
“I am not here for retiring. I'm here to try to help the team,” Nadal said on Monday. “It's of course going to be my last week on the professional tour, but at the end, we are here in a teams competition.
“The most important thing here is to stay all focused on what we have to do, that is play tennis and to do it very well. Because the rival is going to be difficult, and the conditions are difficult too.
“So then the emotions are going to be for the end.”
Nadal, who will draw the curtains on a record-breaking career that has spanned nearly 23 years, has not competed in an official singles match since his second-round exit at the Olympics in July, where he lost to old rival Novak Djokovic in straight sets.
The former world No 1 has worked hard for the past six weeks to be ready for the Davis Cup but said it will ultimately be the decision of Spain captain David Ferrer on whether he will be playing in singles or doubles against the Netherlands.
“Of course when you are not competing very often, it's a little bit more difficult to hold the level on a constant basis, I’ve had good moments and more difficult moments. The improvement is there every day, but, I mean, we have a great team in Spain,” said Nadal.
“All these players on the tour are playing very well, having great seasons. It's the work of the captain to decide what he feels is better for the team.”
Ferrer says he hasn’t decided on his line-up for the quarter-finals and will reveal his selections on Tuesday ahead of the tie.
Nadal, who owns a 29-1 win-loss record in Davis Cup singles matches and an 8-4 record in doubles, has not competed in the inter-nation team competition since 2019, when he helped Spain win a sixth Davis Cup title.
He is joined by reigning Roland Garros and Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz, Roberto Bautista Agut, Pedro Martinez, and Marcel Granollers on Spain’s squad this week.
Nadal’s body has been ravaged by injuries throughout his career, but particularly during the past two years, which has led him to make the decision to hang up his racquet, admitting he is unable to sustain a competitive level on tour.
“I achieved the most important thing for me, because I arrived to this day and I am in peace that I gave all that I had,” said Nadal.
“I’m going to leave this professional tour with the calm and with the personal satisfaction that I gave my best almost in every single moment.”
Nadal said he is “not worried” about the next chapter of his life and that he must “accept the process” of experiencing this significant change.
Djokovic, Nadal’s fiercest rival, has said he plans on being in Malaga for the Spaniard’s final tournament. Asked if Roger Federer will be making an appearance, Nadal said: “I didn't talk to Roger. I think Roger has a busy schedule.
“This is going to be my last week on the professional tour, but I don't think it’s going to be my last goodbye. So there’s going to be other chances to do something.”
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi
From: Dara
To: Team@
Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT
Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East
Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.
Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.
I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.
This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.
It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.
Uber on,
Dara
%E2%80%98FSO%20Safer%E2%80%99%20-%20a%20ticking%20bomb
%3Cp%3EThe%20%3Cem%3ESafer%3C%2Fem%3E%20has%20been%20moored%20off%20the%20Yemeni%20coast%20of%20Ras%20Issa%20since%201988.%3Cbr%3EThe%20Houthis%20have%20been%20blockading%20UN%20efforts%20to%20inspect%20and%20maintain%20the%20vessel%20since%202015%2C%20when%20the%20war%20between%20the%20group%20and%20the%20Yemen%20government%2C%20backed%20by%20the%20Saudi-led%20coalition%20began.%3Cbr%3ESince%20then%2C%20a%20handful%20of%20people%20acting%20as%20a%20%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.ae%2Furl%3Fsa%3Dt%26rct%3Dj%26q%3D%26esrc%3Ds%26source%3Dweb%26cd%3D%26ved%3D2ahUKEwiw2OfUuKr4AhVBuKQKHTTzB7cQFnoECB4QAQ%26url%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.thenationalnews.com%252Fworld%252Fmena%252Fyemen-s-floating-bomb-tanker-millions-kept-safe-by-skeleton-crew-1.1104713%26usg%3DAOvVaw0t9FPiRsx7zK7aEYgc65Ad%22%20target%3D%22_self%22%3Eskeleton%20crew%3C%2Fa%3E%2C%20have%20performed%20rudimentary%20maintenance%20work%20to%20keep%20the%20%3Cem%3ESafer%3C%2Fem%3E%20intact.%3Cbr%3EThe%20%3Cem%3ESafer%3C%2Fem%3E%20is%20connected%20to%20a%20pipeline%20from%20the%20oil-rich%20city%20of%20Marib%2C%20and%20was%20once%20a%20hub%20for%20the%20storage%20and%20export%20of%20crude%20oil.%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EThe%20%3Cem%3ESafer%3C%2Fem%3E%E2%80%99s%20environmental%20and%20humanitarian%20impact%20may%20extend%20well%20beyond%20Yemen%2C%20experts%20believe%2C%20into%20the%20surrounding%20waters%20of%20Saudi%20Arabia%2C%20Djibouti%20and%20Eritrea%2C%20impacting%20marine-life%20and%20vital%20infrastructure%20like%20desalination%20plans%20and%20fishing%20ports.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Game Of Thrones Season Seven: A Bluffers Guide
Want to sound on message about the biggest show on television without actually watching it? Best not to get locked into the labyrinthine tales of revenge and royalty: as Isaac Hempstead Wright put it, all you really need to know from now on is that there’s going to be a huge fight between humans and the armies of undead White Walkers.
The season ended with a dragon captured by the Night King blowing apart the huge wall of ice that separates the human world from its less appealing counterpart. Not that some of the humans in Westeros have been particularly appealing, either.
Anyway, the White Walkers are now free to cause any kind of havoc they wish, and as Liam Cunningham told us: “Westeros may be zombie land after the Night King has finished.” If the various human factions don’t put aside their differences in season 8, we could be looking at The Walking Dead: The Medieval Years.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The specs: 2019 Haval H6
Price, base: Dh69,900
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 197hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 315Nm @ 2,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
