Tennis star Nadal loses retirement match… “I just want to be remembered as a good person.”

“Rather than the titles or the number of wins, I want to be remembered as just a ‘good person’ from a small town in Mallorca.”

When asked, ‘What kind of player do you want to be remembered as?’ after his retirement, Rafael Nadal (38, Spain) said this. He left behind significant records, including a total of 22 major wins and the most wins at the French Open (14), and was called the ‘Emperor of the Clay Court.’ However, Nadal said, “I just want to be remembered as a good person, a boy who followed his dream and achieved it.”

Nadal played in the first singles match against the Netherlands in the quarterfinals of the Davis Cup, a national men’s tennis tournament held in Malaga, Spain, on the 20th, and lost 0-2 (4-6, 4-6) to Botik van der Sanzhilf (29, Netherlands, 80th). lost. On this day, Spain lost 1-2 in the 2nd singles and 1st doubles matches. Nadal, who is retiring after this tournament as Spain was eliminated, had the singles match on this day as his last match.

Nadal said ahead of this tournament, “I didn’t come to this tournament to retire. “I will put my emotions aside and work hard to win Spain,” he said. However, Nadal had tears in his eyes from the moment the Spanish national anthem sounded before the game. Nadal confessed after the game, “It was difficult to control my emotions.” With the loss that day, Nadal also broke his record of 29 consecutive Davis Cup singles wins. It has been 20 years since Nadal lost in a Davis Cup singles match in 2004, when he made his debut.

This was Nadal’s first appearance in a singles match since the second round of the singles at the Paris Olympics in August, where he lost to Novak Djokovic (37, Serbia). Nadal, who did not play the season properly this year due to injury, was unable to overcome his lack of practical sense even in his retirement games. “I can’t complain much at the moment,” Nadal said. I tried to enjoy it with as much energy and attitude as possible, but I couldn’t play properly. “All I can say is that my opponent played a better game than me.”

Before this tournament, Nadal was on a 32-game winning streak in the Davis Cup, including doubles. Nadal has led Spain to victory in the Davis Cup five times (2004, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2019). Nadal, who left without winning his last championship, said, “It was not the result I wanted. But I did the best I could with what I had. “I am grateful for the opportunity to play for the Spanish national team for the last time as a player,” he said.

“I am a truly blessed person,” said Nadal several times, adding, “There are many people who try their best every day. I was really lucky among them. My uncle (Toni Nadal) was a local tennis coach, and thanks to him, I started playing tennis from a really young age. I was also fortunate to be able to turn my hobby into a career. Tennis has given me many opportunities to have unforgettable experiences in life. I was able to continue my career as a player much longer than I thought. “We were all lucky,” he said in his farewell, adding, “I still want to play more as a player, but my body told me I couldn’t play anymore, so I had to accept it.”

Reporter Lim Bomi [email protected]