All eyes on Malaga for Rafa Nadal’s finale

The world of sport will have its eyes firmly fixed on Malaga in the second fortnight of November when King of the Clay, Rafa Nadal, will play his final pro-match, a swan song of a shining 23-year professional tennis career.

The expectations for Nadal’s farewell salute are tremendous, with almost 500 journalists, who have already been accredited, descending on the Martín Carpena sports stadium in Malaga. The stadium has had to adapt more surrounding zones of the Carpena to respond to requests from the world’s media. For example, press conferences for the Spanish team are considered ‘high demand’ and there will not be enough room for the amount of press applying for access

Rafa Nadal arrives in Malaga in preparation for Davis Cup
The entire event is expected to be emotional as scores of tennis stars, friends, and the famous attend, wanting to applaud and pay tribute to the tennis great. On Friday, 16, Nadal begins his preparation, gearing up and getting used to the feel of the court. Carlos Alcaraz and Marcel Granollers are meeting in the same week in Turin, where the Nitto ATP Finals are being held until Sunday, November 17. If they reach the final, they will have little time to adapt to the court in Malaga, less than 48 hours before the start of the Davis Cup.

The debut of the Spanish national team will be on Tuesday, November 19, but ideally they need to land in Malaga early, with Nadal expected to arrive on Thursday, November 14, along with Roberto Bautista and Pedro Martínez. For those travelling through Malaga airport that day, expect a media circus. The teams participating in the Davis Cup are staying in El Higuerón, in Fuengirola, a hotel with all the luxuries and comforts and about 15-20 minutes from Carpena.