Davis Cup Finals LIVE!
Tennis bids farewell to an all-time icon in Rafael Nadal this week as he plays the final tournament of his illustrious career. The 22-time Grand Slam champion announced last month that he was retiring from the sport aged 38 after a torrid few years with injuries, going on to face great rival Novak Djokovic one last time at the inaugural Six Kings exhibition event in Saudi Arabia.
Now Nadal has his sights set firmly set on making it a fairytale end as he looks to guide Spain to a seventh Davis Cup crown and first since 2019 as they host the Final 8 of the 2024 edition in Malaga. That journey begins today with a quarter-final showdown against the Netherlands, with Nadal set to kick off the action against Botic van de Zandschulp after initial questions over his involvement in the singles.
Spanish captain David Ferrer has a formidable team to call upon, with world No3 Carlos Alcaraz set to follow his hero Nadal as the hosts look to seal their progress in the first tie of the round without the need for a tense doubles decider. Follow Spain vs Netherlands in the Davis Cup Finals live below!
Spain vs Netherlands latest news
Start time: 4pm GMT | Malaga
How to watch: Tennis Channel
Nadal leads Spain before retirement
Spain vs Netherlands schedule
Rafael Nadal to open singles action for Spain
14:14 , George Flood
Given his struggles with injury and lack of game time in recent months, there had initially appeared to be a major question mark over whether Rafael Nadal would play in the singles today or else be held back in case needed for a doubles decider.
It will no doubt have been a difficult choice for Spain captain David Ferrer, with an adoring home crowd desperate to see one of the country’s finest-ever sportsmen in action at least one final time.
Some fans have paid a small fortune to be in attendance and if Nadal had been held back with the Netherlands then winning both singles matches, it would have been both heartbreaking for them and a massively anti-climatic end to his career.
While Ferrer promised to leave it until the 11th hour to confirm his selections for today, widespread reports emerged from Spain earlier this afternoon confirming that Nadal would indeed play singles – opening the quarter-final tie against world no74 Botic van de Zandschulp.
How to watch Spain vs Netherlands
14:07
TV channel and live stream: The 2024 Davis Cup Finals are being shown live on the Tennis Channel, which costs £2.49 a month in the UK after a seven-day free trial.
The final on Sunday will be available to watch on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Red Button.
Davis Cup finals live
14:03 , George Flood
Hello and welcome to Standard Sport’s opening live coverage of the 2024 Davis Cup Finals in Malaga.
The Final 8hosts are up first at the Palacio de Deportes Jose MarÃa Martin Carpena this afternoon as Spain look to see off the challenge of the Netherlands and book their spot in the las
