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Jubilant Madrid Visit Granada as Liga Relegation Battle Nears End

Cadiz lost against Real Madrid last weekend and are battling for survival in La Liga. OSCAR DEL POZO / AFP
Cadiz lost against Real Madrid last weekend and are battling for survival in La Liga. OSCAR DEL POZO / AFP
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Jubilant Madrid Visit Granada as Liga Relegation Battle Nears End

Cadiz lost against Real Madrid last weekend and are battling for survival in La Liga. OSCAR DEL POZO / AFP
Cadiz lost against Real Madrid last weekend and are battling for survival in La Liga. OSCAR DEL POZO / AFP

New Spanish champions Real Madrid visit suffering Granada on Saturday with La Liga's key affairs on the verge of being settled, despite four rounds of fixtures remaining.
After Los Blancos wrapped up the title last weekend and Girona secured Champions League qualification, attention turns to the other end of the table.
Granada could already be down before kick-off at their Nuevo Los Carmenes stadium if Real Mallorca, 17th, defeat Las Palmas earlier on.
The Andalucians are above only relegated Almeria and languish 11 points from safety with just 12 to play for. They were promoted last season but are poised to return swiftly to Spain's second tier.
Real Madrid defeated Bayern Munich on Wednesday to reach the Champions League final and after putting off their title celebrations last week to focus on that game, will be in party mode.
At least Granada's supporters will be spared the anguish of watching Madrid's trophy presentation potentially on the day they are relegated.
Although the Spanish football federation initially planned to give Los Blancos the league trophy on Saturday, they changed their plans and will instead hand it to Madrid on Sunday morning.
"We will play against Real Madrid to dedicate a victory to our fans, which is what they deserve," said Granada coach Jose Ramon Sandoval, acknowledging an honorable exit is the most Granada can hope for now.
Cadiz, 18th, trail Mallorca by six points and have a slightly greater chance of survival, although the odds are against them.
They host Getafe on Sunday and a victory would help them at least take their survival battle to the wire.
"It's difficult to do calculations -- we need to always focus on the next match," said coach Mauricio Pellegrino.
"Our chances will increase if we win the next one.
"We need to improve, rise back up, and compete in front of our fans."
Higher up the table there are a few minor threads still to fully unravel.
Atletico Madrid are firm favorites to hold on to fourth position to reach next season's Champions League, sitting six points clear of Athletic Bilbao in fifth.
Diego Simeone's side welcome lowly Celta Vigo on Sunday after Athletic host out-of-form Osasuna on Saturday.
Real Betis are trying to fend off eighth-place Valencia to finish in the top seven to secure European football next season and have a five-point advantage.
Second-place Girona would dearly love to finish above illustrious but hurting neighbors Barcelona, third, who host a Real Sociedad team still looking to seal a Europa League place on Monday.
Michel Sanchez's entertaining Girona side visit Alaves with striker Artem Dovbyk aiming to add to his league-leading goal tally of 20.

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Nadal Retires at Davis Cup after he Loses and Spain is Eliminated

Rafa Nadal of Spain waves during a tribute received after the Spanish doubles match against the Netherlands during the Davis Cup quarterfinal between Netherlands and Spain at the Jose Maria Martin Carpena Sports Palace in Malaga, Spain, 19 November 2024. EPA/JORGE ZAPATA
Rafa Nadal of Spain waves during a tribute received after the Spanish doubles match against the Netherlands during the Davis Cup quarterfinal between Netherlands and Spain at the Jose Maria Martin Carpena Sports Palace in Malaga, Spain, 19 November 2024. EPA/JORGE ZAPATA
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Nadal Retires at Davis Cup after he Loses and Spain is Eliminated

Rafa Nadal of Spain waves during a tribute received after the Spanish doubles match against the Netherlands during the Davis Cup quarterfinal between Netherlands and Spain at the Jose Maria Martin Carpena Sports Palace in Malaga, Spain, 19 November 2024. EPA/JORGE ZAPATA
Rafa Nadal of Spain waves during a tribute received after the Spanish doubles match against the Netherlands during the Davis Cup quarterfinal between Netherlands and Spain at the Jose Maria Martin Carpena Sports Palace in Malaga, Spain, 19 November 2024. EPA/JORGE ZAPATA

Rafael Nadal bit his lower lip and his reddened eyes welled with tears as he stood alongside his Davis Cup teammates for Spain's national anthem Tuesday before what he — and everyone — knew might be the last match of his career.

Hours after Nadal's 6-4, 6-4 loss to Botic van de Zandschulp of the Netherlands was over, the evening did turn out to represent the 22-time Grand Slam champion's farewell to professional tennis, because the Dutch eliminated the Spaniards in the quarterfinals just after midnight, The Associated Press reported.

And it was during an on-court, post-match ceremony to honor Nadal that he cried and cried, at the singsong chorus of “Raaa-faaa” from the spectators, at the video showing highlights from his more than two decades on tour and the collection of recorded tributes from current or former players such as his Big Three rivals Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams, Conchita Martinez and Andy Murray, and stars from other sports such as golf's Sergio Garcia or soccer's David Beckham.

“The titles, the numbers, are there, so people probably know that, but the way I would like to be remembered is as a good person from a small village in Mallorca,” the 38-year-old Nadal told the flag-waving, sign-toting crowd at the sold-out Palacio de Deportes Jose Maria Martin Carpena. “Just a kid that followed their dreams, worked as hard as possible. ... I have been very lucky.”

He had said beforehand that his feelings would need to be put on hold, that this week was about attempting to claim one last trophy for his country, not about pondering his impending retirement, which he announced last month would come after this event.

But he acknowledged after playing that "the emotions were difficult to manage,” and that he felt nerves out there amid the roars of an adoring audience that mostly showed up for one player and one player only.
After Nadal, a 14-time French Open champion, was beaten on the indoor hard court in southern Spain, he became a cheerleader for his heir apparent, Carlos Alcaraz, who evened the matchup against the Netherlands at 1-all by getting past Tallon Griekspoor 7-6 (0), 6-3 in the other singles match. But then van de Zandschulp and Wesley Koolhof clinched the victory for the Dutch by defeating Alcaraz and Marcel Granollers 7-6 (4), 7-6 (3) in the deciding doubles match.
Even if Spain had managed to get past the Netherlands, Nadal said that if he were his team's captain, he wouldn't pick himself to play again in the semifinals after that performance against the 80th-ranked van de Zandschulp.
At least he was in a joking mood after the result put a stop to his 29-match winning streak in Davis Cup singles. The only other blemish on his record, which stood at 29-1 entering Tuesday, came in his 2004 debut.
“I lost my first match in the Davis Cup, and I lost my last one,” Nadal said with a wide grin. “So we close the circle.”
When a forehand found the net to close his last match, Nadal walked to the net for a quick hug with his opponent.
“That was a tough, tough match to play,” said van de Zandschulp, noting that he idolized Nadal while growing up.
In certain ways, this was, unmistakably, the Nadal that van de Zandschulp — and so many others — can remember. The white headband, marked with the red bull logo Nadal made famous. The white tape wrapped around all four of his left, racket-holding fingers. The water bottles by his sideline bench, placed just so.
There was the occasional ace right on a line. The occasional serve-and-volley foray. The occasional over-the-shoulder putaway. And, yes, the occasional uppercut and scream of “Vamos!” There also were — neither to Nadal’s or most of the 9,200 spectators’ liking — several points where he looked like a once-dominant figure diminished by age and injuries.
Nadal was just not able to bring his best, no matter how many chants of “Ra-fa!” or “España!” or “Si, se puede!” (“Yes, you can!”) broke out, no matter how many scarves reading “Gracias, Rafa!” or red-and-yellow Spanish flags of all sizes filled the arena.
This version of Nadal had hip issues, including surgery in June 2023, and abdominal problems that combined to limit him to only 24 matches over the past two years. He went 12-8 in singles in 2024.
The match against van de Zandschulp — who upset Alcaraz at the US Open — was Nadal’s first outing that counted since early August at the Paris Olympics. He lost there in the second round of singles to Djokovic and bowed out in the doubles quarterfinals alongside Alcaraz.
Nadal and Alcaraz practiced with each other hours before the start of play. The day, much like the entire Davis Cup leadup, was largely about memories of, and praise for, Nadal.
“You know very well what you have meant to the tennis world,” said Spain's captain, David Ferrer, who lost to Nadal in the 2013 French Open final. “We will miss you a lot.”
Nadal’s appeal was found in how he played tennis, relentless and striking each shot as if it might be his last, and the humility he displayed away from competition. No one cared for him as much as his fellow Spaniards. He is a national hero, transcending sports, and that was clear from the love expressed over and over via shouts and standing ovations — when Nadal entered the court, when he won a point, when his match ended, and so on.
“When we heard the news that Rafa was retiring, this really became something special — a chance to see the greatest sportsman in the country’s history,” said Luis Julve, a 19-year-old college student who made the trip from Madrid with his mother and aunt.
When the matches, the ceremony, the night and his career were over, Nadal hugged his teammates and left the court, pausing to wave goodbye to his fans one last time.
“The truth is that nobody ever wants to arrive at this moment,” Nadal said. “I’m not tired of playing tennis, but it’s my body that doesn’t want to play anymore, so I have to accept the situation. Honestly, I feel super privileged for having been able to make a career out of my hobby, and for having played for much longer than I could ever have imagined."