Rafael Nadal felt a hand on his left shoulder as he walked out of a conference room at a resort on Spain’s southern coast following his first question-and-answer session with reporters since announcing the Davis Cup Final 8 will be his last event before retirement.

Rafael Nadal's tennis career includes 22 Grand Slam trophies, a record 14 French Open titles and plenty of other significant numbers.

Spain's Davis Cup captain David Ferrer will not reveal whether Rafael Nadal will feature in Tuesday's quarter-final against Netherlands until the 11th hour, with fans eager to get a final glimpse of the Mallorcan in action before he bows out from the sport.