Spain’s Rafael Nadal throughout a tribute after taking part in his final match as an expert tennis participant within the Davis Cup quarterfinals on the Martin Carpena Sports activities Corridor in Malaga, southern Spain, on early Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Picture/Manu Fernandez)
MALAGA, Spain— Rafael Nadal’s comparatively low-key retirement ceremony on the Davis Cup was defended by the pinnacle of the Worldwide Tennis Federation on Sunday as being dictated by the 22-time Grand Slam champion’s needs.
“Rafa is an incredible participant and has a legacy of tennis that he’ll depart behind, inspiring thousands and thousands of gamers all over the world to play tennis, to proceed to play. We felt it was essential to take heed to what Rafa wished and the way he wished to be celebrated. That’s precisely what we did,” ITF President David Haggerty stated at a closing information convention on the website of the Billie Jean King Cup and Davis Cup in southern Spain.
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READ: An emotional Rafael Nadal retires after Davis Cup exit
“We took his lead, and we delivered on that,” Haggerty added. “Folks can have no matter opinions they need of whether or not it was proper or not, however to me, an important factor was we delivered a ceremony that was what Rafa wished — and, being who he’s, was an awesome night, and it was a lot appreciated.”
Feliciano López, the previous participant who’s the Davis Cup Finals event director, deflected a query about the best way Nadal was feted after his staff, Spain, was eradicated by the Netherlands within the quarterfinals Tuesday.
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“We should always focus, all of us, on the truth that Rafa selected Davis Cup to be the ultimate event of his profession as an alternative of hold speaking about his farewell ceremony,” López stated. “Truthfully, we did our greatest.”
READ: Serena Williams joins refrain marking Rafael Nadal’s farewell
A video tribute was performed, with spotlight movies from Nadal’s profession and recorded messages from such present or former gamers as Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Serena Williams.
None of these contemporaries was available for the occasion.
Future websites for Billie Jean King Cup and Davis Cup to be introduced
Haggerty stated the bidding course of for future hosts of the Billie Jean King Cup and Davis Cup is in its “remaining levels,” with two or three candidates for every. It’s attainable they may go to the identical metropolis or be cut up, as they normally are (this yr’s ladies’s staff competitors was moved to Malaga solely due to issues with its unique place, Seville).
The ITF hopes to announce the profitable metropolis or cities on Dec. 2, when the draw is introduced in London for 2025 Davis Cup qualifying matches.
“What drives it, the decision-making, shall be quite a few components, however an important issue is ensuring that there’s nice visibility for the competitors — that we proceed to develop, power to power. So it’s not about cash. I imply, that’s an vital factor, nevertheless it’s not the driving factor,” Haggerty stated. “The driving factor is how will we proceed to construct the Davis Cup and the Billie Jean King Cup. That’s what drives our choice.”
Malaga hosted the Davis Cup Finals the previous previous two years and its contract permits for the opportunity of remaining the positioning in 2025.
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Haggerty stated 65,000 followers attended this yr, up from 60,000 final yr, and 43% of the spectators in 2024 traveled to the occasion from one other nation.
