“Nadal will not jeopardize the team’s result” and may only play doubles in Davis Cup: Paris Masters director

Rafael Nadal won’t play in Paris for the third time this year, having competed at the French Open and 2024 Olympics already. Cedric Pioline, Paris Masters tournament director, confirmed the same on Friday, revealing he approached the soon-retiring Nadal for a wild card entry into this year’s main draw but received no as an answer.

“I asked if there was any interest but the answer was very clear: he has decided to play the Davis Cup Final 8 in Malaga as his last event and he will not play an official tournament until then,” Pioline told the media houses, including Tennis Majors.

Nadal hasn’t played a competitive singles match officially since losing to Novak Djokovic in the second round of the Games in July this year, however, attended the Six Kings Slam, a lucrative exhibition held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. There, he lost to fellow Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz and Serbian Novak Djokovic.

Thus, Pioline suggested it was tough for him to comprehend Nadal’s mindset ahead of the Davis Cup Final 8, his farewell tournament.

“It’s hard to know whether he feels he’s performing well and whether he thinks he can bring something to the table,” Pioline added. “From what I know of him, I’m of the opinion that he’ll only play the doubles to take his leave and not jeopardize the team’s result for his personal need to say goodbye.

“There’s a form of risk (in not playing before) but he knows himself well, he has a whole team and I think it’s clear in his head. The less we play, the less rhythm we have. The less rhythm you have, the less confidence you have. What’s certain is that with all his injuries in two years, others would have thrown in the towel sooner. To his credit, he hung in there and chose when and where to call it a day. That’s priceless.”

Nadal never won the Paris Masters title

Nadal has surprisingly never triumphed at the ATP Masters 1000 in Paris, a city that has brought him 14 Grand Slam titles (at Roland Garros). He debuted at the Paris Masters in 2007 and made it to the final straight away only to lose badly (6-4, 6-0) to Argentine David Nalbandian, who overcame the likes of Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic in the previous rounds.

The Spaniard fought for the title eight more times but couldn’t make another title clash. He reached the semi-finals on four occasions in 2009, 2013, 2019, and 2020, also making it to the quarter-finals thrice in 2008, 2015, and 2017.

Nadal last participated in the Paris Masters in 2022, when he, seeded second, faced a second-round defeat at the hands of American Tommy Paul. Thus, he will finish his career with no Paris Masters glory to his name.

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