Rafael Nadal’s decrease lip quivered, his reddened eyes brimming with tears, as he stood shoulder to shoulder along with his Davis Cup teammates, singing Spain’s nationwide anthem.
It was a poignant second, laden with the burden of what everybody suspected – this is perhaps the ultimate chapter of his legendary profession.
Hours later, that suspicion grew to become actuality.
After falling 6-4, 6-4 to the Netherlands’ Botic van de Zandschulp, the 22-time Grand Slam champion bid an emotional farewell to skilled tennis. Spain’s hopes ended simply after midnight because the Dutch sealed their quarterfinal victory, marking the tip of an period.
During an on-court, post-match ceremony to honor Nadal, he was overcome with emotion.
Tears streamed down his face as the gang chanted “Raaa-faaa,” a video performed highlights from his greater than twenty years on tour, and tributes poured in from gamers reminiscent of Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams, Conchita Martinez, Andy Murray, and stars from different sports activities like golfer Sergio Garcia and soccer icon David Beckham.
“The titles, the numbers, are there, so people probably know that, but the way I would like to be remembered is as a good person from a small village in Mallorca,” the 38-year-old Nadal instructed the flag-waving, sign-toting crowd on the sold-out Palacio de Deportes Jose Maria Martin Carpena. “Just a kid that followed his dreams, worked as hard as possible. … I have been very lucky.”
Before the match, Nadal mentioned his feelings would want to attend, insisting that this week was about attempting to say one final trophy for his nation, not about pondering his impending retirement, which he introduced final month would come after this occasion.
But after the match, Nadal acknowledged the problem. “The emotions were difficult to manage,” he admitted, noting the nerves he felt amid the roars of an adoring crowd that got here to see one participant and one participant solely.
After Nadal, a 14-time French Open champion was crushed on the indoor laborious courtroom in southern Spain, he grew to become a cheerleader for his inheritor obvious, Carlos Alcaraz.
Alcaraz evened the matchup towards the Netherlands at 1-all by defeating Tallon Griekspoor 7-6 (0), 6-3 within the second singles match.
But the Dutch duo of van de Zandschulp and Wesley Koolhof sealed Spain’s destiny, defeating Alcaraz and Marcel Granollers 7-6 (4), 7-6 (3) within the decisive doubles match.
Even if Spain had superior, Nadal mentioned he wouldn’t choose himself to play within the semifinals if he had been the group’s captain, citing his efficiency towards the Eightieth-ranked van de Zandschulp.
At least Nadal was in good spirits after the consequence ended his 29-match successful streak in Davis Cup singles. His solely different loss within the competitors got here throughout his 2004 debut.
“I lost my first match in the Davis Cup, and I lost my last one,” Nadal mentioned with a large grin. “So we close the circle.”
When his last forehand discovered the web, Nadal shortly embraced his opponent on the web.
“That was a tough, tough match to play,” van de Zandschulp mentioned, noting that he idolized Nadal rising up.
In some ways, this was nonetheless the Nadal followers remembered – the white headband emblazoned along with his signature Red Bull brand, the white tape wrapped round his racket-holding fingers, the fastidiously positioned water bottles by his sideline bench.
There had been flashes of brilliance: the occasional ace on the road, a serve-and-volley foray, an over-the-shoulder winner, and his trademark uppercut with a defiant “Vamos!”
But there have been additionally moments that confirmed his age and accidents.
Hip surgical procedure in June 2023 and stomach points had restricted him to simply 24 matches over the previous two years. He went 12-8 in singles in 2024.
This was Nadal’s first official match since shedding within the second spherical of singles on the Paris Olympics in August, the place he additionally bowed out within the doubles quarterfinals with Alcaraz.
On Tuesday, Nadal practiced with Alcaraz forward of the Davis Cup matches, however the day was as a lot about celebrating Nadal’s legacy because it was concerning the competitors.
“You know very well what you have meant to the tennis world,” Spain’s captain David Ferrer, a former rival who misplaced to Nadal within the 2013 French Open last, mentioned. “We will miss you a lot.”
Nadal’s enchantment wasn’t simply in his relentless enjoying type or the best way he struck every shot as if it had been his final but additionally in his humility off the courtroom. In Spain, he’s greater than a tennis participant – he’s a nationwide hero who transcended sports activities. The love for him was evident within the standing ovations and chants of “Ra-fa!” and “Espana!” that crammed the world.
“When we heard the news that Rafa was retiring, this really became something special – a chance to see the greatest sportsman in the country’s history,” mentioned Luis Julve, a 19-year-old faculty scholar who traveled from Madrid along with his mom and aunt.
When the matches, the ceremony, and the night time had been over, Nadal hugged his teammates and waved goodbye to the followers one final time.
“The truth is that nobody ever wants to arrive at this moment,” Nadal mentioned. “I’m not tired of playing tennis, but it’s my body that doesn’t want to play anymore, so I have to accept the situation. Honestly, I feel super privileged for having been able to make a career out of my hobby and for having played for much longer than I could ever have imagined.”
Source: www.dailysabah.com