Nadal loses in Davis Cup, possibly his last match.

Rafael Nadal has announced his retirement from professional tennis after the upcoming tournament. In a dramatic turn of events, the 22-time Grand Slam champion suffered a straight-sets defeat in Spain's Davis Cup quarter-final match against the Netherlands. This could potentially be his last match in his illustrious career.

Captain David Ferrer chose Nadal to lead his team in the opening match in Malaga, officially marking his retirement. However, the 38-year-old was not able to showcase his best form in his first competitive game since the Paris Olympics in July. He was defeated by World No. 80 Botic van de Zandschulp with a score of 6-4 6-4.

The loss could potentially mark the end of Nadal's professional journey, if Spain fails to win the remaining two matches against the Dutch team. The national anthem rang out before the match, visibly affecting Nadal's emotions. However, he did not show any signs of being restricted in his movement on the court.

As the match progressed, Van de Zandschulp grew in confidence and broke Nadal's serve to take a 5-4 lead in the first set. With the home crowd behind him, Nadal fought back and broke his opponent's serve to level the score. However, the Dutchman held his nerve and won the first set. In the second set, he broke Nadal's serve again and ultimately claimed a huge victory in front of the Spanish crowd.

The defeat puts Spain at a disadvantage, with a 1-0 score in the best-of-three series. Carlos Alcaraz will now have to win his match against Tallon Griekspoor to level up the encounter. If he succeeds, Nadal will have another chance to prove himself in the doubles match alongside Marcel Granollers against Van de Zandschulp and Wesley Koolhof.

If Spain manages to make a comeback and win the tie, they will face the semi-finals on Friday. However, Captain Ferrer will have to make a tough decision on whether to include Nadal in the team again, considering his long-standing fitness issues. It would be a difficult task to play another match just three days later, and it remains to be seen if the legendary Nadal will make a return to the court.

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