Rafael Nadal may have played the final singles match of his career after losing Spain’s Davis Cup quarter-final opener against the Netherlands’ Botic van de Zandschulp 6-4, 6-4 in Malaga on Tuesday.
Following Nadal on court at Martin Carpena Arena was Carlos Alcaraz, who took on Dutch world No. 40 Tallon Griekspoor in a bid to take the tie to a deciding doubles.
Nadal did not rule out his involvement with the team should Spain salvage the tie against the Dutch, but admitted his loss on Tuesday should be enough of a reason for team captain David Ferrer to select a different player from the squad to play singles if the hosts advance to the semi-finals.
“I really believe that David put on the field the player who he feels had the better chance to win,” said Nadal of his selection.
“That's the truth. Because I gave him, since the beginning, the input that he doesn't need to feel any pressure to put me, honestly. Hopefully we have the chance to go through.
“If I would be the captain, probably I will change, I don't put myself the next day,” he added with a smile. “If we go through, that's my feeling. But at the end, it’s not my decision, and I'm sure that he will make the best decision possible for the team.”
Nadal announced last month he will be retiring from professional tennis at the Davis Cup Finals, 20 years after he made his debut for Spain in the competition.
Hampered by injuries over the past two years, the former world No. 1 hadn’t competed in an official, sanctioned event since the Paris Olympics in July, but spent the last six weeks training hard in Mallorca – and made an appearance against Novak Djokovic at the Six Kings Slam exhibition event in Riyadh – in preparation for his grand finale at the Davis Cup.
Dutch team captain Paul Haarhius said ahead of the quarter-final his side were keen to give Nadal “a nice adios” and Van de Zandschulp got them off to a strong start by claiming his first win from three meetings with the Spanish 22-time Grand Slam champion.
If this was indeed Nadal’s last hurrah, his fans can take solace they got to witness his gladiatorial spirit one last time.
Short on match play and managing injuries, Nadal showed flashes of his brilliance during the match. From signature fist pumps to his famous sky hook shot, the 38-year-old went down fighting, which is ultimately what his career was all about.
Malaga had transformed into a Nadal open-air museum in the build-up to the Davis Cup, with the City Council launching a campaign that put up ‘Gracias Rafa’ posters and LED screens all over town.
The Ciudad de Malaga Athletics Stadium, which is right across the street from the Martin Carpena Arena, featured a massive 2.6sqm ‘Gracias Rafa’ banner, making sure Nadal knew the entire region of Costa del Sol, and Spain as a whole, was behind him.
The prelude to the clash featured electronic house music blasting through the stadium speakers as the 11,000-capacity crowd slowly filled up the seats.
"Raaafa, Raaafa" chants rang through the arena as the teams lined up before the clash and Nadal looked visibly emotional when the Spanish national anthem began to play.
“Of course [it has] been an emotional day, nerves before what could be my last singles match as a professional. That's the way that I felt that,” Nadal later explained.
“Of course the emotions, feeling the national anthem for the last time as a professional was, you know, very special. And then of course a little bit of mixed feelings makes the things a little bit more difficult.
“But that's it. We went on court. We live that moment. I tried to do my best. I tried to, at the same time, to stay as positive as possible in every single moment, to play with the right energy.”
After a moment of silence dedicated to the victims of the devastating floods in Valencia, Nadal and Van de Zandschulp took to the court to kick off the quarterfinal tie.
The Dutchman meant business from the first point, charging the net and finishing off with a crisp volley winner to send a clear signal of intent.
But Nadal shook off early nerves and pumped his fist to hold in his opening service game.
Van de Zandschulp too needed a few minutes to adjust to the grand occasion, double-faulting three times in a row before he held for 1-all.
After holding in a tough deuce game for 4-all, Van de Zandschulp got his first break point opportunities of the match, in game nine. Some safe hitting from Nadal drew the error from his opponent to save the first but a backhand passing shot winner sealed the break for the Dutch world No 80.
He served out the set comfortably to take the lead on the 46-minute mark.
A flashy backhand smash winner briefly lifted the energy of Nadal and the crowd early in the second, but Van de Zandschulp once again created a break chance, thanks to a missed volley from the Spaniard.
Another error from Nadal handed Van de Zandschulp the break and the Dutchman was soon up 2-0.
Despite Nadal’s best battling efforts, Van de Zandschulp extended his advantage to surge ahead 4-1 with a double-break. The crowd chanted ‘si se puede’ (yes you can), urging Nadal to keep fighting, and he did, narrowing his deficit by getting back one of the breaks.
Van de Zandschulp hit some uncharacteristic errors but still found a way to keep his one-break lead and he served out the victory after one hour and 53 minutes of play.
The crowd gave Nadal a standing ovation, in honour what may very well have been the last match of his professional career.
“It's in some ways good maybe if that was my last match. I lost my first match in the Davis Cup, and I lost my last one. So we close the circle,” said Nadal with a hint of sarcasm.
“I really hope that Carlos gonna win his match, and then the doubles too. So hopefully we can keep going and I will keep working hard every day to be on the team in case that the team needs me one more time. If not, just support from the bench.”
The five pillars of Islam
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
Fines for littering
In Dubai:
Dh200 for littering or spitting in the Dubai Metro
Dh500 for throwing cigarette butts or chewing gum on the floor, or littering from a vehicle.
Dh1,000 for littering on a beach, spitting in public places, throwing a cigarette butt from a vehicle
In Sharjah and other emirates
Dh500 for littering - including cigarette butts and chewing gum - in public places and beaches in Sharjah
Dh2,000 for littering in Sharjah deserts
Dh500 for littering from a vehicle in Ras Al Khaimah
Dh1,000 for littering from a car in Abu Dhabi
Dh1,000 to Dh100,000 for dumping waste in residential or public areas in Al Ain
Dh10,000 for littering at Ajman's beaches
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
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Match info
Uefa Nations League Group B:
England v Spain, Saturday, 11.45pm (UAE)
Expo details
Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia
The world fair will run for six months from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.
It is expected to attract 25 million visits
Some 70 per cent visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in the 167-year history of World Expos.
More than 30,000 volunteers are required for Expo 2020
The site covers a total of 4.38 sqkm, including a 2 sqkm gated area
It is located adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South
Francesco Totti's bio
Born September 27, 1976
Position Attacking midifelder
Clubs played for (1) - Roma
Total seasons 24
First season 1992/93
Last season 2016/17
Appearances 786
Goals 307
Titles (5) - Serie A 1; Italian Cup 2; Italian Supercup 2
How to get there
Emirates (www.emirates.com) flies directly to Hanoi, Vietnam, with fares starting from around Dh2,725 return, while Etihad (www.etihad.com) fares cost about Dh2,213 return with a stop. Chuong is 25 kilometres south of Hanoi.
Various Artists
Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Habibi Funk)
VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Disability on screen
Empire — neuromuscular disease myasthenia gravis; bipolar disorder; post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Rosewood and Transparent — heart issues
24: Legacy — PTSD;
Superstore and NCIS: New Orleans — wheelchair-bound
Taken and This Is Us — cancer
Trial & Error — cognitive disorder prosopagnosia (facial blindness and dyslexia)
Grey’s Anatomy — prosthetic leg
Scorpion — obsessive compulsive disorder and anxiety
Switched at Birth — deafness
One Mississippi, Wentworth and Transparent — double mastectomy
Dragons — double amputee
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
Winners
Ballon d’Or (Men’s)
Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain / France)
Ballon d’Or Féminin (Women’s)
Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona / Spain)
Kopa Trophy (Best player under 21 – Men’s)
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona / Spain)
Best Young Women’s Player
Vicky López (Barcelona / Spain)
Yashin Trophy (Best Goalkeeper – Men’s)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City / Italy)
Best Women’s Goalkeeper
Hannah Hampton (England / Aston Villa and Chelsea)
Men’s Coach of the Year
Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain)
Women’s Coach of the Year
Sarina Wiegman (England)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Roll of honour 2019-2020
Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners: Dubai Hurricanes
Runners up: Bahrain
West Asia Premiership
Winners: Bahrain
Runners up: UAE Premiership
UAE Premiership
}Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes
UAE Division One
Winners: Abu Dhabi Saracens
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes II
UAE Division Two
Winners: Barrelhouse
Runners up: RAK Rugby
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
The%20specs
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Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
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