Tennis

Rafael Nadal, the legendary Spanish tennis player, is set to bid farewell to professional tennis at the Davis Cup finals in Malaga, Spain, starting November 18, 2024. The 38-year-old Nadal has been a dominant force in the sport for over two decades, winning 22 Grand Slam singles titles, including a record 14 French Open titles.Nadal's decision to retire stems from a series of injuries that have plagued him in recent years, including a painful foot, abdominal muscle problems, and a hip issue that required surgery last season. "It has been some difficult years, these last two especially," Nadal said. "I don't think I have been able to play without limitations."The Davis Cup finals will be a fitting stage for Nadal's farewell. He has been a part of Spain's team at some stage of the Davis Cup during five years when the country won the title - in 2004, 2008, 2009, 2011, and 2019. "I am very excited that my last tournament will be the final of the Davis Cup and representing my country," Nadal said. "I think I've come full circle because one of my first great joys as a professional tennis player was the Davis Cup final in Seville in 2004."Nadal's retirement marks the end of an era in men's tennis. He is the second member of the so-called Big Three to stop playing, following Roger Federer's departure in 2022. Novak Djokovic, the third member of the trio, is still near the top of the game.Nadal's legacy will be defined by his incredible success on the court, his unwavering determination, and his sportsmanship. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest tennis players of all time, and his retirement will be a significant loss to the sport.

Second seed Riya Bhatia faced a stern test in the quarterfinals of the Fenesta National tennis championship, battling past Yubrani Banerjee 6-3, 2-6, 7-6(5) at the DLTA Complex on Thursday.Bhatia, a former champion and ranked 338th in the world in 2020, relied on her power play to take the first set 6-3. However, Banerjee, a superb counter puncher, fought back to win the second set 6-2.The decider was a thrilling affair, with both players trading blows. Banerjee raced to a 5-3 lead, but Bhatia showed her resilience to turn the match around. She won the tiebreaker 7-5 to secure a hard-fought victory.In the semifinals, Bhatia will face 15-year-old Maaya Rajeshwaran, who has won six consecutive matches, including three in the qualifying event. The other semifinal will be between top seed Vaidehi Chaudhari and Pooja Ingale.In the men's section, lucky loser Rethin Pranav eased past giant killer Yash Chaurasia for the loss of four games. He will face Abhinav Sanjeev Shanmugam in the semifinals. The other semifinal will be between top seed Vishnu Vardhan and Nitin Kumar Sinha.