Carlos Alcaraz says Rafael Nadal's legacy "is going to be eternal" after the 22-time major winner brought the curtain down on his glittering career.

The 14-time French Open champion played his final match on Tuesday, as Spain bowed out of the Davis Cup following defeat by the Netherlands.

Following the conclusion of the tie, Nadal fought back tears as he received a huge ovation from the Malaga crowd.

Alcaraz, who partnered the 37-year-old in the men's doubles at the Paris Olympics, is widely expected to follow in his footsteps, having already landed four major singles titles.

The 21-year-old thinks his compatriot's "legacy is going to be eternal".

"He has been great for tennis, for the sport in general," Alcaraz said. "It is difficult, at least for me, to feel that I should continue the legacy that he has left.

"It is difficult, almost impossible. I will just try to do my best. Right now, it's time to say great things about Rafa."

"There are people who will be remembered for their achievements in life, others until the end of their days, and others eternally," Spain captain David Ferrer told Nadal. "You will be remembered eternally."

Rafael Nadal suffered a straight sets defeat to Botic van de Zandschulp in the opening match of the Davis Cup Finals.

Nadal will call time on his illustrious playing career at the culmination of Spain's Davis Cup campaign.

It was not confirmed whether the 38-year-old would take to the court in Malaga on Tuesday until shortly before the scheduled start time.

And in his first competitive match since losing to old foe Novak Djokovic at the Paris Olympics, Nadal went down 6-4 6-4, despite having the crowd's backing, as Van de Zandschulp put the Netherlands into a 1-0 lead in the quarter-final tie.

Speaking after his win, the Dutchman said: "At the beginning I think we were both nervous. The first games didn't go smoothly. The crowd was tough, understandably.

"That is what it is to play against Rafa in Spain. He is probably the biggest sportsman in Spain to have ever lived.

"I have to say it is tough to close out a match against him, knowing it could be his last. I felt I was hoping a bit more than going for it. I went for it and it helped in the end.

"If I was sat at the side of the court I would have been cheering for him too."

Nadal's defeat means the pressure was put on his heir apparent, Carlos Alcaraz, to overcome Tallon Griekspoor and force a deciding doubles match.

Data Debrief: History maker

If this was to prove his final match, Nadal bowed out with another slice of history to his name.

With this appearance, Nadal became the Spanish player with the most matches played in the Davis Cup in the last 30 years, with this his 43rd. He surpassed Feliciano Lopez.

Carlos Alcaraz says it will be "the most special tournament I'll play in my career" when he teams up with Rafael Nadal at next week's Davis Cup Finals in Malaga.

Nadal will retire from tennis after representing Spain in the tournament he has already won four times during his illustrious career.

Once again, the 22-time major winner will be joined by Alcaraz, after the pair also teamed up in the men's doubles during the Paris Olympics, where they reached the quarter-finals.

And Alcaraz says winning the Davis Cup is a "huge motivation" as he looks to give his compatriot the perfect send-off.

"It's probably the most special tournament I'll play in my career, because of what's happening, because of the circumstances," the four-time grand slam champion said.

"The Davis Cup has always been a tournament that I'd love to win one day. I'm passionate about representing Spain. Having Rafa by my side, knowing it's his last tournament, will make it much more special.

"No player deserves more to finish the incredible career he had with a title, and I know how special the Davis Cup is for him. It will be a difficult challenge, but winning it for Rafa is a huge motivation.

"Rafa's farewell is much more important, at least for me. The Davis Cup is every year. Rafa's farewell, saying goodbye to a legend of the sport, unfortunately only happens once. Personally, I’m very excited to be by Rafa's side for his farewell."

Carlos Alcaraz was dumped out of the ATP Finals as Casper Ruud sank Andrey Rublev to reach the semi-finals of the Turin event on Friday.

Following his defeat to Jannik Sinner earlier on Friday, Alcaraz could only advance by virtue of percentage of games won if Ruud was beaten in straight sets.

However, Ruud dashed those hopes by taking an opening set in which he won 80% of his first-serve points (16/20) and did not give up a single break point.

While Rublev fought back to level things up in the second set, Ruud came on strong in the third set, ultimately triumphing 6-4 5-7 6-2 in one hour and 45 minutes.

Speaking after the match, Ruud said: "Tennis is interesting sometimes. I don't know what I am doing better this week than the past few weeks... the only thing is serving, I am serving really well.

"It is tough to play the best players in the world but nice because you feel you are an underdog and can play free. You know if you don't bring your A level you will likely lose.

"I knew coming into this match that a set was enough to qualify, so I was a bit nervous at the start. So when I got that first set I could breathe a little."

Data Debrief: Career-best for Ruud

Ruud's victory was his sixth over a top-10 opponent in ATP Tour-level events in 2024, surpassing his previous best in a single calendar year (five in 2022).

With Sinner his next opponent in the semi-finals on Saturday, Ruud will hope to continue his impressive form against the best the sport has to offer.

Alexander Zverev has booked his place in the ATP Finals semi-finals with a straight-sets win over Carlos Alcaraz, who is now facing elimination.

The German secured the year-end number two spot in the ATP rankings after triumphing 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 in just under two hours to set up a meeting with Taylor Fritz in the final four.

Zverev has now won each of his last eight matches and topped the John Newcombe Group but had to work hard for it, with Alcaraz successfully defending a set point to force a tie-break.

The Spaniard struggled to match the pace in the second set though, losing his serve in the opening game, giving Zverev the control he needed to register his sixth career win against Alcaraz.

Zverev avenged his French Open final loss to Alcaraz earlier this year, racking up his 69th win of 2024 in the process, but played down talk he is playing the best tennis of his life.

"You guys need to relax a little bit," he said. "It has been three fantastic matches. I'm happy to be 3-0 in the group for sure, but the semi-finals now are going to be very difficult - no matter who I am against.

"Taylor beat me the last few times we've played at the slams, but I'm looking forward to that match.

"Carlos has beaten me too many times this year in important matches, so I'm happy I got this one. We have a pretty good rivalry, but a great friendship as well. It's always great to share the court with him."

Alcaraz's chances of qualifying for the final four are slim, but he could progress based on the percentage of games won if Andrey Rublev beats Casper Ruud in straight sets later on Friday.

Data Debrief: Out in front

Zverev is looking to cap 2024 on a high by continuing his impressive run, and he is the first player to register 69+ wins in a single season since Andy Murray (78) in 2016.

Since he made his first semi-final at the ATP Finals in 2018, only Novak Djokovic (five) has reached the semis of this event more often than the German (four).

Carlos Alcaraz surprised himself with the level of performance he was able to produce in his win over Andrey Rublev at the ATP Finals on Tuesday. 

Alcaraz emerged a 6-3 7-6 (10-8) victor against the Russian in his second match of the tournament, keeping his hopes of advancing to the next round in Turin alive. 

The Spaniard fell to defeat in his opening game against Casper Ruud, citing a stomach issue that left him feeling unwell before and during that match. 

But the world number three looked back to his brilliant best against Rublev, claiming the first set in 37 minutes before edging a thrilling tie-break in the second.

"Yes, I surprised myself a lot," Alcaraz said shortly after the victory. 

"The way I played today from the baseline, I was really calm and tried to just focus on my game and what I had to do - forget that I'm not really feeling well.

"Once you step on the court, you have to forget everything you're struggling with outside the court."

Alcaraz, though, said he was still not feeling 100% ahead of facing Alexander Zverev, who is in action against Ruud later on Tuesday. 

It will be the pair's first meeting since the Spaniard's triumph in the French Open final in June, but Zverev has not let that defeat ruin a fine season. 

His own opening win over Rublev was his ATP Tour-leading 67th win of the campaign, with only Jannik Sinner matching the German for victories this year. 

"I could be better, healthier. I'm just trying to step on the court and play good tennis, try not to think about my issues right now," Alcaraz said.

"I've been struggling the last week and that's going to be the case over the next day too, for sure.

"Zverev is playing great tennis. He is one of the toughest players in the world right now, that's for sure.

"I will try to play good tennis and enjoy the same way I did today. Then let's see."

Carlos Alcaraz overcame his recent illness to keep his hopes of progressing at the ATP Finals alive with a straight-sets triumph over Andrey Rublev on Tuesday. 

Alcaraz had complained about feeling unwell in his defeat to Casper Ruud, but returned to winning ways with a 6-3 7-6 (10-8) victory in 96 minutes against his Russian opponent. 

The Spaniard, sporting a pink nasal strip to aid his breathing, exchanged blows with Rublev early on but was able to take control of the encounter after the fifth game.

Alcaraz reeled off four consecutive games from 3-2 down to seal the opening set, closing in on a second consecutive win against Rublev at the year-end tournament in Turin. 

The enthralling affair continued to produce some sensational tennis, most notably when Alcaraz brilliantly turned defence into attack during a long rally in the third game. 

The four-time grand slam champion later kept his cool in the second-set tie-break, saving two set points before closing out the win to kickstart his campaign. 

Alcaraz now sits at the top of the John Newcombe Group ahead of Alexander Zverev's meeting with Ruud later on Tuesday, with the German up next for the world number three.

Data Debrief: Winning the best medicine 

After a rocky start to his ATP Finals campaign, Alcaraz's latest showing confirmed that, despite not feeling at his best, he can still pose a threat at the tournament. 

The Spaniard struck 31 winners compared to Rublev's 14, but did match his opponent for unforced errors during the contest (20 each). 

But it was another victory on a favoured surface for the world number three. Since the ATP rankings were first published in 1973, Alcaraz (21 years and 192 days) is the second-youngest player to claim 20 top-10 wins on hard courts, older only than Lleyton Hewitt.

Carlos Alcaraz revealed that he struggled with illness during his opening game loss at the ATP Finals to Casper Ruud on Monday. 

Alcaraz looked out of sorts as he fell to a 1-6 5-7 defeat to Ruud in just 86 minutes in Turin, and now faces an uphill struggle if he is to progress from the John Newcombe Group.

During the contest, the Spaniard hit 26 unforced errors compared to his opponents' 10, while also failing to save any of the four break points he faced. 

It also marked Alcaraz's first loss against Ruud in their fifth match against each other, with the 21-year-old confirming he had felt unwell leading up to the tournament. 

“I don’t like talking about things like this because it sounds like an excuse and I don’t want to take anything away from what Casper did to win the match,” began Alcaraz.

“Before coming here, I was unwell at home. When I got to Turin, practice was going well; I could handle long rallies, competing and playing.

"And I hoped things would get better as the days went by.

"I don’t know if it was because of the nerves of the first match, but I didn’t feel completely well. My stomach limited my game a lot and made me feel uncomfortable.

"I could’ve done better. I’m not going to feel good in every match I play throughout the year, but it really limited me in terms of my recovery.”

Alcaraz will be back on court on Wednesday, when he takes on the loser of Monday's clash between Alexander Zverev and Andrey Rublev.

Failing to win would see the four-time grand slam champion fall short once again at the year-end tournament, but he was confident of claiming a maiden ATP Finals crown. 

“I don’t want to think much beyond today... Given how I’ve felt, it’s difficult to think about the semis,” said Alcaraz.

“The good thing in this sport is that your game can feel very bad one day and very good the next.

"There have been many players who have lost the first match of the [Nitto] ATP Finals and ended up winning. I reached the semis last year after losing on the first day.

"Now I want to take it day by day, to feel better, and see how the next match is. I’ll approach it as best I can. Let’s hope things turn out well.”

Casper Ruud believes his 50th Tour-level victory of 2024 was one of his best after he upset third seed Carlos Alcaraz in his opening match of the ATP Finals on Monday. 

Ruud, who had registered just two wins since the US Open, sealed a 6-1 7-5 win in just 86 minutes against Alcaraz for his maiden Top 3 triumph on hard courts. 

The Norwegian reeled off five consecutive games from 1-1 to claim the first set at a canter but had to battle from the brink to secure a straight-set victory in Turin. 

Alcaraz had raced into a 5-2 lead in the second set but was unable to hold on, with Ruud roaring back to sit top of the early standings in the John Newcombe Group. 

"It's only one match, but it's one of the best wins of the season in terms of who I am playing and his ranking," Ruud said.

"I feel really happy, of course. I think we have seen Carlos play better tennis, but I took care of my chances. 

"I haven't been boosting with confidence in the last few months so it was a great win for me and I would like to get some more wins in Turin.

"I got a good start, I got a break early and in the second set I managed to turn it around with some good tennis at the end."

Ruud will next seek to earn a second win on Wednesday when he will face either Alexander Zverev or Andrey Rublev, who play later on Monday. 

Data Debrief: Ruud awakening

Although Alcaraz appeared below his physical best during Monday's encounter, Ruud took full advantage to continue his impressive streak against the very best in the world. 

The Norwegian's latest win saw his record against players in the Top 10 of the ATP rankings improve to 5-2, and he was a worthy winner in Turin. 

Ruud converted all four of the break points he was presented with, ending the contest with 10 unforced errors compared to Alcaraz's 26. 

Carlos Alcaraz said he arrives at the ATP Finals with "a lot of motivation" and is looking to make his mark in Turin next week. 

Alcaraz, who claimed two grand slam titles at the French Open and Wimbledon this year, missed the event in 2022 after picking up an internal oblique muscle tear. 

The Spaniard was then beaten in straight sets by Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals, though the Olympic champion has since withdrawn from this year's tournament with an ongoing injury issue. 

Alcaraz, however, enters the year-end competition with a win-loss record of 52-11, with only Jannik Sinner (12) claiming more top 10 wins in 2024 than the 21-year-old (11). 

“Last year was a difficult end of the year for me,” Alcaraz said. “I could not play at my best.

"The last two matches here were pretty good matches for me, but the previous two, three tournaments I didn’t play at my best, so I realised I had to change a little bit at this time of the year, which I did this year.

“I come here a little bit different. I approach this tournament a little differently, knowing there are things I have to change if I am to have a good result here and go far.

"Last year I didn’t start well from the first matches. I will try to play at the same level and will try to play good tennis. I am coming here with a lot of motivation.”

Alcaraz was drawn in the John Newcombe Group at the ATP Finals alongside Alexander Zverev, Casper Ruud and Andrey Rublev.

He will start against Ruud on Monday, but might face the strongest competition in the group from Zverev, who claimed his seventh Masters 1000 title at the Paris Masters. 

Among the qualifiers for this year's event, Zverev (14) and Daniil Medvedev (11) are the only two to have recorded 10 or more match wins at the ATP Finals.

Alcaraz and Zverev have faced each other 10 times, winning five apiece, though Alcaraz has won the last two, including at Roland-Garros in the French Open showpiece.

“He is one of the toughest players in the world for sure,” Alcaraz said about Zverev.

“I think I return pretty well but he has a really big serve and plays unbelievable from the baseline, which makes him a really tough opponent to face.

“He has won more than 20 ATP Tour titles, lots of Masters titles. He wants a Grand Slam and I told him he is going to get it for sure.

"At the end of his career he will get at least one, let's see if more.

"He deserves it. He is a really hard worker. He has lifted the big trophies. I don’t like to face him because of his serves and shots, but I am trying to find the beauty of playing him.”

The end of the 2024 season is upon us, but before the ATP Tour wraps up until 2025, there is one final big tournament to come.

That season finale is, of course, the ATP Finals, and it kicks off in Turin on Sunday, with eight of the world's top players vying for the prize.

Jannik Sinner is already sure of his place as the year-end number one, but there could be movement in the rankings below him, with Alexander Zverev heading into the tournament as the newly minted world number two, ahead of Carlos Alcaraz.

Reigning champion Novak Djokovic withdrew on Monday, meaning for the first time since 2001, none of the "big three" (Djokovic, Rafael Nadal or Roger Federer) will feature at the ATP Finals.

Djokovic beat Sinner last year to claim his seventh ATP Finals title, which is the most times a player has won the competition.

Sinner, fresh from triumphs at Flushing Meadows and the Shangai Masters, heads to Turin as the favourite, with an eighth title on the line, but let's look ahead to the 2024 ATP Finals with Opta's pre-tournament facts.

Sin(ner) City

Sinner will not only be the firm fan favourite in Turin, he will always be the favourite to claim the crown.

The 23-year-old has already collected a Tour-leading seven titles this season, including the Australian Open and the US Open, and will be out to go one better following his loss to Djokovic in last year's final.

Six of Sinner's victories have come on hard court, with his triumph at the Halle Open the only exception. 

The Italian is only the fifth player aged 23 or under to win at least six Tour-level titles on hard courts in a calendar year after Jimmy Connors (1973), Ivan Lendl (1981), Pete Sampras (1994) and Federer (2004).

Since the ATP's redistribution of ranking points in 2009, only Djokovic (2015) and Nadal (2010) have clinched the year-end number one earlier in a season than Sinner in 2024.

He is out to become the seventh player to win the ATP Finals on home soil in the Open Era, and will be the player to beat in Turin.

Alcaraz and Zverev scrapping for second

Zverev comes into the tournament in excellent form, on the back of winning the Paris Masters.

His triumph in France not only saw him move into second place in the rankings, but also saw him claim his 66th match win, which is more than any other player in 2024 (Sinner is second on 65).

Among the qualifiers for this year's event, Zverev (14) and Daniil Medvedev (11) are the only two to have recorded 10+ match wins at the ATP Finals.

Zverev is only 27, but he is comparatively a veteran at the ATP Finals when stacked up against the other players to have qualified for this year's event. The German will be featuring at the tournament for the seventh time.

Since the rankings were first published in 1973, Boris Becker (four) holds the most wins over the world number one at the ATP Finals – Federer and Zverev have the next-most such wins, with three each.

Among players with multiple matches against the world number one at the ATP Finals, Zverev (3-2) is the only player to hold a winning record.

With Djokovic out of the picture, Alcaraz will be hoping to get back into the top two to end the year.

Only Sinner (12) has claimed more top 10 wins in 2024 than Alcaraz (11), whose last such win came against Sinner in Beijing in September.

Alcaraz is the only player to claim multiple wins over top-five ranked opponents on hard, grass and clay courts in consecutive seasons since the rankings were published in 1973. John McEnroe (1984) is the only other player to achieve the feat in a single year.

The other names in the hat

Who else will be looking for glory next week?

Medvedev comes into the ATP Finals ranked at number four in the world. Only two players won more matches at grand slams in 2024 than the Russian (18), and they are Sinner (23) and Alcaraz (19).

Taylor Fritz reached his first major final earlier this year, losing to Sinner at the US Open. Only two players - Zverev and Sinner - have won more matches on the Tour in 2024 than the American, who has an impressive 49-21 record.

After qualifying for the 2022 ATP Finals, Fritz will become the first American to make multiple appearances at the event since Andy Roddick (2003, 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010).

Casper Ruud is one of only three players, along with Sinner (eight) and Alcaraz (five), to have reached at least five ATP finals this year.

Alex de Minaur, meanwhile, will become the first Australian to appear at the ATP Finals since Lleyton Hewitt 20 years ago.

Hewitt went on to reach the final, so there is a good omen there for his compatriot.

World number two Carlos Alcaraz admitted that he was "not up to the level" after a defeat to Ugo Humbert saw him crash out of the Paris Masters in the third round. 

Humbert, ranked 18th in the world, posted a 6-1 3-6 7-5 win against the second seed in two hours 17 minutes to reach the quarter-finals of the ATP Masters 1000 event in the French capital. 

"It was a very intense match. I started with some doubts about my game," said 21-year-old Alcaraz after the surprise defeat. 

"Against a player who attacks whenever he can, who hits very aggressively at the slightest opportunity, it wasn't easy to get into the match.

"I was not up to the level he displayed. Ugo's performance was really high. The way he hits the ball is incredible."

Alcaraz had his sights set on a fifth title of the season in Paris but will move on to the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin next, with the season finale to be played from November 10 to 17. 

Humbert, meanwhile, will continue his hunt in the Paris Masters as he preps up to battle Australia's Jordan Thompson for a spot in the semi-finals. 

World number two Carlos Alcaraz crashed out of the Paris Masters after an upset at the hands of 15th seed Ugo Humbert in the third round. 

Alcaraz was aiming for a fifth title of the season in the French capital, but it was the world number 18 who emerged as 6-1 3-6 7-5 winner in two hours 17 minutes. 

The Spaniard had no answer for Humbert in the first set, but fought back to level the proceedings in the second. 

The third set was a tight affair, but it was 26-year-old Humbert who prevailed to take it 7-5 and reach the last eight at the ATP Masters 1000 event. 

Humbert, looking for his third title of the season, will next face Australia’s Jordan Thompson, who progressed to the quarter-final by defeating Adrian Mannarino. 

Carlos Alcaraz began his Paris Masters campaign with a straight-sets victory over Nicolas Jarry.

The French Open and Wimbledon champion took 90 minutes to wrap up a 7-5 6-1 win over the Argentine, avenging his defeat in the semi-finals in Buenos Aires back in February.

Alcaraz made a purposeful start at the Accor Arena, breaking at the first attempt on the way to an early 3-0 lead.

Jarry responded by breaking back to 15 in game nine. However, an untimely double fault in the 12th handed the opening set to the Spaniard.

Also a winner in Indian Wells and Beijing this term, Alcaraz took control of the second set when he broke in the fourth game.

He did so again in the sixth, before holding to set up a last-16 clash with either Ugo Humbert or Marcos Giron.

Data Debrief: Carlitos applies the breaks

Alcaraz is aiming to progress beyond the quarter-final of this ATP Masters event for the first time.

Break points and unforced errors proved crucial in the contest. The Spaniard converted four of his five break point opportunities, and committed just six unforced errors to his opponent's 24.

In sealing the victory, Alcaraz improved his impressive record in opening rounds in 2024 to 13-2.

Jannik Sinner mounted yet another comeback to overcome Carlos Alcaraz in three sets and become the inaugural winner of the 6 Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia.

It is the fourth time the two have met this year, and Sinner triumphed for the first time, winning 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 6-3 on Saturday.

Sinner started brightly, taking a 4-1 lead in the first set, but was unable to hold onto his advantage as Alcaraz levelled the score before serving to love to force the tie-break.

The Spaniard let his lead slip twice but held on to take the first set, only to find himself on the backfoot once more in the second.

Sinner pulled ahead but was dragged back again, though was ready for the battle this time, breaking Alcaraz’s serve three times to force the decider.

Another three-game winning streak in the final set proved enough for the Italian to avenge his China Open defeat and claim a long-awaited win over Alcaraz.

Data Debrief: Sinner gets his revenge

This match will not go towards the pair's ATP head-to-head record, but it is a welcome win for Sinner, who has struggled to get the better of Alcaraz in 2024.

After losing at Indian Wells and the French Open earlier this year, Sinner also lost the China Open final, despite taking the first set in that match. 

But this time, he was the one coming from behind, just as he has so often in recent weeks, as the 23-year-old took the crown.