Nadal gives Spain its 6th Davis Cup Title

Spanish Tennis star Rafael Nadal beat Canadian Denis Shapovalov 6-3, 7-6 (7) to give Spain its sixth Davis Cup title.

It was a sixth title for Spain – and a fifth for their greatest tennis export Nadal – in their 10th final, with Nadal extending a remarkable winning run in this competition to 29 consecutive singles matches.

Bautista Agut had also missed much of Spain’s run to the final. He left the Spanish camp after his father tragically passed away during the finals week and he secured an emotional win over teenager Auger-Aliassime to put Sergi Bruguera’s side firmly in control.

The Spanish crowd that packed the Caja Mágica center court erupted when Nadal converted his third match point to clinch the title for Spain at the inaugural Davis Cup Finals with an insurmountable 2-0 lead.

The top-ranked Nadal won all of his eight matches at the revamped competition that debuted a World Cup-style format.

Tournament organizer and Barcelona soccer star Gerard Piqué, his wife Shakira – who performed in the closing ceremony – and Spanish King Felipe VI were among those celebrating Spain’s first Davis Cup title since 2011.

The celebration was especially emotional for Bautista Agut, who sent Spain on its way to victory after returning to the team following the death of his father on Thursday.

He pointed his finger to the sky after winning the final point. His father’s health deteriorated after an illness that stemmed from a 2016 accident.

Spain’s Marcel Granollers and Feliciano López were scheduled to face Shapovalov and Vasek Pospisil in the doubles if needed, although Nadal was likely to play if the title had been at stake. Nadal played in the decisive doubles on Friday and Saturday.

Nadal sealed Spain’s win, however, with a straight-sets win over the 20-year-old Shapovalov, who is ranked 15th.

Spain will get the opportunity to defend their title on home soil next year, with the tournament staying in Madrid until at least 2020. The capital city is also in contention to keep the tournament in 2021.