FUENGIROLA, Spain — On Monday, both Rafael Nadal and Spanish captain David Ferrer remained tight-lipped regarding Nadal’s participation at the upcoming Davis Cup Final 8. This event marks Nadal’s last competition before his anticipated retirement, leaving fans and the media speculating whether he will compete in singles, doubles, or possibly sit out altogether.

Spain is set to clash with the Netherlands on Tuesday during the quarterfinals, which will be held on an indoor hard court at the Palacio de Deportes Jose Maria Martin Carpena. The victors of this match will advance to the semifinals slated for Friday, while the championship match is scheduled for Sunday.

During a press conference, Nadal was asked how he felt during practice and whether he was ready to play. His reply was encircled with intrigue: “That’s a question for the captain,” which elicited laughter from Ferrer, who was seated beside the tennis star.

When the question of Nadal’s potential participation was directed at Ferrer, he offered a vague answer, stating, “I don’t know yet. At the moment, I have not decided the players that are going to play tomorrow.”

The 38-year-old Nadal had previously announced last month that he would retire from professional tennis following the Davis Cup in Spain. Over the past two years, he has faced a multitude of injuries that limited him to participating in fewer than 25 official matches.

Monday, Nadal reflected on his current situation, noting it doesn’t “make sense to keep going knowing that I don’t have the real chance to be competitive the way that I like to be competitive because my body” can no longer support it.

Nadal has not participated in an official match since the Paris Olympics in early August. In that event, he was defeated in the second round of singles by Novak Djokovic and subsequently lost in the quarterfinals of doubles alongside fellow player Carlos Alcaraz.

Spain’s Davis Cup squad also features Alcaraz, Marcel Granollers, Roberto Bautista Agut, and Pedro Martinez, rounding out a formidable team at this prestigious competition.