Davis Cup Final 2024: Rafael Nadal’s ‘Last Dance’ has him go down to Dutchman van de Zandschulp, but not without a fight

All eyes were on Rafael Nadal when the tennis great took the court for his farewell match in the Davis Cup Final’s first quarter-final. Nadal was up against Netherland’s Botic van de Zandschulp in the opener singles match, on home ground at the Martin Carpena Arena in Malaga, Spain.

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It wasn’t going to be easy for Zandschulp to hold his nerve what with the crowd cheering Nadal’s every move. This was, after all, Nadal’s ‘Last Dance’, what with him announcing his retirement with the season ending tournament, in which he would represent his country one last time.

The Spaniard won his first service game, and was down 0-40 in the next, when van de Zandschulp sent down three consecutive double faults to have them level at 40-all. But then van de Zandschulp pulled himself together to hold on to his serve after all. Both men continued to hold serve until 4-4, when Nadal handed van de Zandschulp, not one, but two break points. He survived one, but the Dutchman converted the next one, ripping a cross-court volley and setting up a chance to serve for the set. van de Zandschulp took it 6-4.

Heading into the second, the Dutchman was determined to keep the momentum going, breaking Nadal in his first game, holding his serve, and then almost stealing another game from the Spaniard. At the end of some scintillating display of volleys and winners from both ends, Nadal won his service game. But then van de Zandschulp won the next two, breaking Nadal a second time to go up 4-1.

Just when it seemed that the match was slipping away from the tennis great, he managed to break his opponent’s serve for the first time in the match and held his own, even though he risked letting van de Zandschulp win the game, when he began with two back-to-back double faults. The score – 4-3, with van de Zandschulp on serve, which he holds. Nadal wins another and then, it was time for the 29-year-old Dutchman to serve for the match.

Eventually, van de Zandschulp, who beat Carlos Alcaraz in the second round of the US Open this year, ended Nadal’s win streak at the Davis Cup in straight sets, 6-4 6-4. The Davis Cup Final 2024 matches are live on Sony LIV. Up next, in the best of three series, Alcaraz plays Tallon Griekspoor and if the Spaniard wins, he will join Marcel Granollers in a doubles match against van de Zandschulp and Wesley Koolhof.