（ＣＮＮ） Tennis player Rafael Nadal (38, Spain) retired after the Davis Cup match held in Malaga, Spain on the 19th. In the quarterfinals that day, Nadal lost to Botik Vandesensfulp (Netherlands), and Spain was eliminated.
Nadal, who played his last match as a professional, ended his 23-year career and responded to the cheers of the audience with tears in his eyes. At his retirement ceremony, famous players such as Roger Federer applauded Nadal.
Van Desensfulp won the match 6-4, 6-4.
Rafael Nadal (left) sings the national anthem before the Davis Cup quarterfinals, on the 19th in Malaga, Spain/Clive Brunskill/Getty Images for ITF
Nadal’s overall record in Davis Cup singles is 29 wins and 2 losses. His only previous loss was against Jiří Novak (Czech Republic) in 2004.
“We lost the first Davis Cup match, we lost the last match, so it’s over,” Nadal told reporters.
It was Nadal’s first competitive appearance in three months, and some spectators were already in tears when he was introduced as a member of the Spanish national team. Nadal also shed tears while listening to the Spanish national anthem, and the audience cheered “Rafa!”
Standing in the center of the court during his post-match retirement ceremony, Nadal responded to the cheers of the crowd and thanked his team for supporting him over the years, saying: “I’m very lucky. Tennis has given me an unforgettable experience.” “I was able to do that,” he recalled. “I just want to be remembered as a good person and as a kid who followed his dreams and achieved more than he ever dreamed,” he said.
