Rafael Nadal retires from tennis, as Spain defeat in Davis Cup brings curtain down on glittering career
20 November 2024, 00:24 | Updated: 20 November 2024, 00:25
Rafael Nadal has ended a long and trophy-laden tennis career after Spain were defeated in the Davis Cup by the Netherlands.
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The 38-year-old opted to make the Davis Cup Finals his last event having accepted last month that his body would no longer allow him to compete at the highest level.
He was hoping for one final victory on home soil but Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp spoiled the party with a 6-4 6-4 victory.
Spain's quarter-final elimination was confirmed after Van de Zandschulp and Wesley Koolhof defeated Carlos Alcaraz and Marcel Granollers in the deciding doubles.
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Nadal won 22 Grand Slam men's singles titles across a two-decade career, including 14 French Open wins. He also won Wimbledon and the Australian Open twice each, and the US Open four times.
In Malaga, the Spanish fans, some of whom had paid seven-figure sums for tickets, flocked to the Martin Carpena Arena in their thousands, draped in red and yellow flags and scarves and ready to cheer on their national hero one more time.
Nadal said at a press conference on Monday that he wanted to leave the emotion for when the end came, with his focus on trying to win Spain a sixth Davis Cup title during his long and historic career, but there were tears in his eyes during a stirring rendition of the national anthem.
"Of course it has been an emotional day, nerves before what can be my last singles match," he said.
"Feeling the national anthem for the last time like a professional has been very special. And then of course a little bit of mixed feelings makes 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, stay as positive as possible in every single moment, to play with the right energy. It was not enough.
"Congrats to Botic. That's all. He was better than me."
