Resale sites hike up prices by 30k Euros for Rafael Nadal’s last ever professional match in upcoming Davis Cup
Rafael Nadal will end his professional tennis career at the conclusion of this year's Davis Cup tournament.
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Rafael Nadal (Image via X)
22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal announced his retirement from professional tennis on Thursday (October 10). The Spaniard cited his injury issues as the reason for making this decision.
Nadal stated that the Davis Cup event this year will be his final ATP event, and ticket prices for the left-hander’s final match are now coming into the spotlight. According to Punto de Break, several resale sites are claiming prices of 30,000 euros for a single ticket on this potentially historic night.
The scenario regarding viewership and ticket prices is not surprising, as a similar storyline unfolded during Roger Federer‘s retirement at the 2022 Laver Cup. The Swiss maestro’s retirement event generated the highest ticket prices since the tournament’s inception in 2017.
A year later, the Laver Cup had to cut back due to a decline in viewership. Hence, the tennis community can expect the upcoming Davis Cup ties to be among the most-watched matches of the year, particularly those featuring the Spanish tennis team.
The career of Rafael Nadal by the numbers
Since turning professional in 2001 at just 15 years old, Rafael Nadal has spent 2,543 hours and 15 minutes on the court in 1,307 ATP Tour matches, winning 1,080 of them. His first title came in 2004 on the clay courts of Sopot, a small city in northern Poland. He gained significant recognition the following season when his rivalry with Roger Federer began. The two, affectionately known as “Fedal,” faced each other 40 times over 15 years.
Nadal won their first match in 2004 when he was only 17, while Federer triumphed in their last encounter at Wimbledon in 2019 when he was 37. Their rivalry was marked by mutual friendship and respect off the court, as well as a fascinating clash of styles during their matches. Nadal’s powerful left-handed forehand and passionate celebrations led him to end Federer’s five-year winning streak at Wimbledon in the memorable 2008 final, often considered the greatest match of all time.
At the same time, Federer, known for his smooth movement and elegant one-handed backhand, struggled against Nadal at the French Open, losing all six of their meetings there. With the Swiss Maestro now retired and Nadal nearing the end of his career, Novak Djokovic remains the last member of the “Big Three.” The Serb has also matched Nadal’s achievements, winning Olympic singles gold in Paris this summer.
As of now, Djokovic holds two more Grand Slam titles than Nadal and is still pursuing his 25th major to break the all-time record he shares with Margaret Court. If not for Nadal, the Serbian would likely have achieved that record already. Despite leading their overall rivalry 31-29, Djokovic lost to Nadal in five out of their nine Grand Slam finals.
Nadal is often called the “King of Clay” for his dominance at the French Open. He won the tournament 14 times in 19 appearances, achieving 112 wins in 116 matches there, with only three going to five sets. Remarkably, he won the title four times—2008, 2010, 2017, and 2020—without dropping a single set.
However, one major title that Nadal will miss is the ATP Finals, despite competing in 11 editions and winning 21 of 39 matches. He reached the finals in 2010 and 2013 but lost to Federer and Djokovic, respectively. Djokovic holds the record with seven titles, while Federer has six.
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Fahad Hamid
(684 Articles Published)