Any suggestion the Davis Cup has lost its significance in a crowded tennis calendar has been banished as the Final 8 nations competing for the big prize in Malaga confirmed their teams.

The most eye-catching selection was Rafael Nadal’s inclusion in the Spain team, sparking suggestions that this could be the final appearance of his professional career.

Confirmation that Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz are in the team for a Davis Cup Finals that will see them open their campaign against the Netherlands came after Spain captain David Ferrer admitted he didn’t know if the 22-time Grand Slam legend would be available to play for what may be a farewell appearance.

“I spoke to Rafa, but we don’t know anything yet,” said the former world No 3.

“There is a possibility that he could be with us in Malaga in November. His goal was the Olympics this year, but then he stopped. He needed to rest and spend time with his family, so it was right not to call him up now.

“I will speak to him later. The important thing is that he is well. If he arrives in good condition in November, he will certainly be a player we can count on.

“There is plenty of time to define the team that will take to the field in Malaga. Now they have to focus on the tournaments. I have a lot of good players to choose from.

“It is a positive thing, but at the same time a negative thing: someone will have to be left out. At the moment I am not 100% clear.”

Now it seems Nadal has given captain David Ferrer the indication he needed to include him in his line-up, with the legendary champion having a couple of months to get himself into top shape to offer something to the Spain team.

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As the Davis Cup is competed in a best-of-three-set format these days, it would appear to be a little more realistic for Nadal to take part.

Yet he has not played since the Olympic Games and may have to play a warm-up event to confirm he can contribute to the Spain cause at the level he wants.

With Italy naming world No 1 Jannik Sinner in their team and USA captain Bob Bryan picking a strong team that includes Taylor Fritz and Ben Selton, the final event of the tennis year is set to become an spic event.

Malaga proved to be a sensational host venue for last year’s Davis Cup Finals, even though Spain failed to qualify for the event.

Now the home fans will have their team to cheer on and if this is confirmed to be Nadal’s final competitive event, it will be an occasion to remember.

Meanwhile, the prize money for this year’s Davis Cup has been revealed by the ITF and it is set to be a big windfall for the winners.

The men’s 2024 world champion team will receive $2,678,571, with that total split among the members of each team.

For the 2024 Davis Cup Finals, the breakdown of player prize money is as follows (all figures USD):

Davis Cup Finals prize money

World champions: $2,678,571
Runner-up: $1,607,143
Semi-finalists: $1,071,429
Quarter-finalists: $535,714

Here are the confirmed Davis Cup teams for an event that will take place between November 19 and 24:

Italy

Jannik Sinner
Lorenzo Musetti
Flavio Cobolli
Andrea Vavassori
Simone Bolleli

Spain

Carlos Alcaraz
Rafael Nadal
Marcel Granollers
Pablo Carreno Busta
Roberto Bautista Agut

United States

Taylor Fritz
Tommy Paul
Ben Shelton
Rajeev Ram
Austin Krajicek

Netherlands

Tallon Griekspoor
Botic van de Zandschulp
Jesper de Jong
Wesley Koolhof

Germany

Jan-Lennard Struff
Yannick Hanfmann
Kevin Krawietz
Tim Putz

Canada

Felix Auger-Aliassime
Denis Shapovalov
Vasek Pospisil
Gabriel Diallo
Alexis Galarneau

Argentina

Sebastian Baez
Franciso Cerundolo
Tomas Martin Etcheverry
Andres Molteni
Maximo Gonzalez

Australia

Alexei Popyrin
Jordan Thompson
Thanasi Kokkinakis
Max Purcell
Matthew Ebden

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