Carlos Alcaraz flings down a backhand winner in between Wesley Koolhof and Botic van de Zandschulp to win the first point on the Dutch serve.

Koolhof gets the Netherlands back in front with a quickfire reaction at the net, tapping home a volley.

Spain pull level at 30-30 though as Botic van de Zandschulp finds the net.

A solid service game from Carlos Alcaraz to get Spain under way.

Marcel Granollers manoeuvres his racquet to protect his face from a big Botic van de Zandschulp forehand and it trickles over, winning the point.

It's crunch time! Carlos Alcaraz serves first to get us up and running.

The Netherlands win the toss and they choose to receive first.

They could also be saying goodbye to a tennis legend today. Wesley Koolhof has announced this will be his last season and this will be his final match if the Dutch duo lose here.

A top doubles player, he won Wimbledon alongside Great Britain's Neal Skupski in 2023.

A lot on the line for both teams.

Here we go then! The end of Rafael Nadal's career comes down to this.

If Spain win, the retirement party continues. If they lose, then we say goodbye to one of the all-time tennis greats.

Speaking of Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer's great rivalry...

Any opportunity to watch the best bits from their epic Wimbledon showdown in 2008 is absolutely worth taking.

Will it ever be bettered? I'm not sure it will.

Image source, Getty Images

Earlier today, before Rafael Nadal took to the court, Roger Federer paid an emotional tribute to his long-term rival.

Federer, who retired in 2022 with 20 Grand Slams, won 16 matches and lost 24 - including an epic final at Wimbledon in 2008 - in the 40 times he faced Nadal.

"As you get ready to graduate from tennis, I've got a few things to share before I maybe get emotional," wrote 43-year-old Federer on Instagram.

"Let's start with the obvious: you beat me - a lot. More than I managed to beat you. You challenged me in ways no-one else could.

"On clay, it felt like I was stepping into your backyard, and you made me work harder than I ever thought I could just to hold my ground."

Federer added that Nadal made him "reimagine" his game, to the extent that the Swiss changed the size of his racquet head.

Read more of Federer's touching tribute.

Image source, Getty Images

Earlier today, Rafael Nadal was beaten in what might prove to be the final match of his career by the Netherlands' Botic van de Zandschulp.

"I tried my best, I tried to enjoy and play with the right energy and the right attitude," said Nadal in his post-match press conference.

"It just didn't work. There was a possibility that that would happen."

Nadal took time to linger in the centre of the court after his defeat, waving to the 11,500 fans packed into the Palacio de Deportes.

He said afterwards he put "no pressure" on captain David Ferrer to pick him, but joked he would not select himself if Spain set up a semi-final against Germany or Canada.

"It is not my decision and I'm sure he will make the best decision possible for the team," said Nadal, whose Davis Cup career started in 2004 with a defeat by Jiri Novak of the Czech Republic.

With a smile, he added: "In some ways it is good, maybe, if that was my last match because I lost my first match in the Davis Cup and I lost my last one.

"We close the circle."

While we wait for the deciding doubles match, let's round up what happened in Rafael Nadal's match earlier and have a look at the tributes that have been flooding in for the 22-time major winner.

A defeat for Spain in the doubles will call an end to Nadal's career, while a win would give us all a glimmer of hope that we'll see him in action once more.

More from Carlos Alcaraz on whether he was watching Rafael Nadal's match: "I watched the whole match. I had the chance to watch the first set here in real life and then I had to stay focussed. It's an emotional day but I tried to forget everything and show my best tennis.

"The Davis Cup is a really important tournament for me and everyone, I tried to play my best tennis and get Spain the best chance to qualify. I did it for Rafa. Let's see in the doubles, hopefully we are getting the win."

I bet Carlos Alcaraz is happy to get it done in two. The four-time major winner is going to be back on court in 20 minutes to play in the decding doubles match.

He'll be joined by Marcel Granollers to face Dutch duo Wesley Koolhof and Botic van de Zandschlup, who beat Nadal earlier.

Stick with us!

Here's what Carlos Alcaraz had to say after his win over Tallon Griekspoor: "I started pretty well. It's just a game where I lost focus a little bit, I let him make the break so I had to stay here. I tried to stay positive. I had my chances that I couldn't take at the beginning. I stayed there, played good tennis and I'm really happy I got him in two sets."

We'll hear from Carlos Alcaraz very shortly...

That's five straight defeats for Tallon Griekspoor at the hands of Carlos Alcaraz.

There's no love lost, though. The pair meet at the net with big smiles and a hug.

Three match points for Carlos Alcaraz as Tallon Griekspoor goes wide.

And there's the finger to the ear again from Carlos Alcaraz. He pulls a drop shot out of nowhere and then volleys down Tallon Griekspoor's reply. 30-0.

Aggressive play from Carlos Alcaraz, as he follows up the serve with a fizzing forehand winner. 15-0.

Carlos Alcaraz and the Malaga crowd are made to wait as Tallon Griekspoor sends down an ace.

The world number three will have to serve out the win.

The Mexican wave has started and the umpire has a tough job in telling the crowd to quiet down.

Carlos Alcaraz is trying to hide a smirk. He loves it.