MALAGA, Spain (AP) — Rafael Nadal bit his lower lip and his reddened eyes welled with tears as he stood alongside his Davis Cup teammates for Spain's national anthem Tuesday before what he — and everyone — knew might be the last match of his career, and turned out to be a 6-4, 6-4 loss to Botic van de Zandschulp of the Netherlands.Nadal said beforehand that his feelings would need to be put on hold, that this week was about attempting to claim one last title for his country, not about pondering his impending retirement. But the 22-time Grand Slam champion acknowledged afterward that the moment got to him, that

MALAGA, Spain (AP) — Rafael Nadal lost 6-4, 6-4 to Botic van de Zandschulp in the Davis Cup on Tuesday in what may have been the last match of the Spaniard's career.Nadal is retiring from professional tennis after the team event in Malaga, and he will not get to play again if Spain loses the second singles match against the Netherlands later Tuesday.Third-ranked Carlos Alcaraz will face No. 40 Tallon Griekspoor in the other singles, and if the best-of-three series remains tied, it will be Alcaraz and Marcel Granollers for Spain against van de Zandschulp and Wesley Koolhof for the Netherlands in the deciding doubles.Spain will play again in Friday's semifinal if it rallies to defeat the Dutch.___AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

Rafael Nadal has lost 6-4, 6-4 to Botic van de Zandschulp in the Davis Cup in what may have been the last match of his career.

Rafael Nadal has been picked to play singles for Spain against the Netherlands at the Davis Cup Final 8.

Neither Rafael Nadal nor Spanish captain David Ferrer would say Monday whether the 22-time Grand Slam champion will play singles or doubles — or maybe not at all — at the Davis Cup Final 8, his last event before retirement. Spain is scheduled to face the Netherlands on Tuesday in…

FUENGIROLA, Spain (AP) — Neither Rafael Nadal nor Spanish captain David Ferrer would say Monday whether the 22-time Grand Slam champion will play singles or doubles — or even at all — at the Davis Cup Final 8, his last event before retirement.Spain is scheduled to face the Netherlands on Tuesday in the quarterfinals on an indoor hard court at the Palacio de Deportes Jose Maria Martin Carpena. The winner will play in the semifinals on Friday. The championship will be decided on Sunday.Asked at a news conference how he has been feeling in practice in recent days and whether he is ready to play, Nadal said: “That’s a question for the captain.” That response drew a smile and laugh from Ferrer, sitting to Nadal's left.Moments later at a hotel in Fuengirola, about 12 miles south of the arena in Malaga, the question of Nadal's participation was put to Ferrer.“I don’t know yet,” Ferrer said. “At the moment, I have not decided the players that are going to play tomorrow.”The 38-year-old Nadal announced last month that…

FUENGIROLA, Spain (AP) — Neither Rafael Nadal nor Spanish captain David Ferrer would say Monday whether the 22-time Grand Slam champion will play singles or doubles — or even at all — at the Davis Cup Final 8, his last event before retirement. Spain is scheduled to face the Netherlands on Tuesday in the quarterfinals […]

Rafael Nadal is getting set to retire from professional tennis after one last event.