Rafael Nadal set to bid adios at Davis Cup in Malaga

Rafael Nadal will try to keep his emotions in check as he prepares for the final event of his professional tennis career.

The 22-time grand-slam champion will represent Spain one last time at the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga this week.

Such is the interest in Nadal's farewell that the press conference room at the Martin Carpena Arena was not deemed big enough to cope with demand for Spain’s pre-event media, and it instead took place at a conference centre at the team’s five-star hotel on the Costa del Sol.

Asked if he thought he might struggle to contain his emotions, Nadal said: "If I am on court, hopefully not, no, because at the end I am not here for retiring. I’m here to try to help the team.

"Then it’s of course going to be my last week on the professional tour, but at the end, we are here in a teams competition.

"The most important thing here is to try to help the team and to stay all focused on what we have to do, that is play tennis and do it very well. Because the rival is going to be difficult, and the conditions are difficult, too. So then the emotions are going to be for the end.

"To play my last event in Spain, it’s something that I am very happy with. Because I will never have the chance to thank enough everybody here in Spain, the support that I receive and the love that I felt always."

Tickets for Spain’s quarter-final against the Netherlands on Tuesday have been changing hands for five-figure sums but it remains to be seen when, or even if, Nadal will play.

The 38-year-old has competed very sparingly, with his only appearance since the Olympics coming at an exhibition event in Saudi Arabia, where he lost both his singles matches.

If Nadal is picked to play singles, he would take on Dutch number one Tallon