FUENGIROLA, Spain (AP) 鈥 Neither Rafael Nadal nor Spanish captain David Ferrer would say Monday whether the 22-time Grand Slam champion will play singles or doubles 鈥 or even at all 鈥 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: 鈥淭hat鈥檚 a question for the captain.鈥 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.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know yet,鈥 Ferrer said. 鈥淎t the moment, I have not decided the players that are going to play tomorrow.鈥
The 38-year-old that he would walk away from tennis after the Davis Cup at home in Spain. He has been dealing with a series of injuries the past two seasons and has been limited to fewer than 25 official matches in that span.
"I'm not here to retire. I鈥檓 here to help the team win. It鈥檚 my last week in a team competition and the most important thing is to help the team. The emotions will come later,鈥 said Nadal, wearing the squad's red polo shirt with a tiny red-and-yellow Spanish flag on the left sleeve.
鈥淚鈥檓 enjoying the week. I鈥檓 not putting too much attention to the retirement," Nadal said. "It will be a big change in my life after this week.鈥
Nadal said it doesn't 鈥渕ake sense to keep going knowing that I don鈥檛 have the real chance to be competitive the way that I like to be competitive because my body鈥 won鈥檛 allow it.
He hasn't played an official match since the Paris Olympics in early August. He and in the quarterfinals of .
鈥淚鈥檝e tried to prepare as hard as possible for the last month and a half. I鈥檓 trying to give my best for this event," Nadal said. "When you don鈥檛 compete so often, it鈥檚 difficult to maintain the level consistently. But the improvement is there every day. I believe that.鈥
Spain's Davis Cup team also includes Alcaraz, Marcel Granollers, Roberto Bautista Agut and Pedro Martinez.
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AP Sports Writer Tales Azzoni in Madrid contributed to this report.
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