Carlos Alcaraz hopes Davis Cup is not Rafael Nadal’s ‘last dance’

Carlos Alcaraz is hopeful that the Davis Cup is not Rafael Nadal’s swansong on the tour. Nadal is all set to join Team Spain for the Davis Cup quarterfinals against the Netherlands at Malaga on November 19. 

Nadal recently opted out of the Laver Cup with Grigor Dimitrov replacing him in Team Europe. Alcaraz was at his best in the Laver Cup, beating Ben Shelton and Taylor Fritz in straight sets. The young Spaniard also won the doubles match with Casper Ruud against Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton.

On the other hand, Nadal has played sporadically on the tour because of his fitness woes. In 2024, Nadal only played at the Roland Garros out of the four slams.

“I am going to enjoy that time. Hopefully, it’s not going to be the last time for him,” said Alcaraz. “Obviously, it’s always great having Rafa around. I miss him. I’m not going to lie, I miss him in the Laver Cup.”

Alcaraz continued, “Obviously, as much time as I can spend with him, for me it’s a privilege. I don’t want to think that it is a potential last dance for him in Malaga. I just want to think that I will be trying to live or to enjoy his time around, to enjoy seeing him on court as much as I can.

“Obviously, it is a great support having him in the team. He can bring a lot of experience to the Davis Cup. For me, it’s going to be my first Davis Cup Final. It’s going to be a great experience for me. To have the chance to spend more time off the court, on the court as well, with him, it’s going to be great for Team Spain and I think for the country as well, that we’re playing in Spain.”

Meanwhile, Alcaraz had teamed up with Rafael Nadal in the Paris Olympics but the Spanish duo could not go all the way.

Alcaraz is currently taking part in the China Open.