It was a strange ending for one of the greatest tennis players of all time.
When Rafael Nadal’s career ended shortly after midnight in Malaga due to Spain’s Davis Cup defeat against the Netherlands, everyone was somehow surprised. It seemed like an eternity before the farewell ceremony began.
“The way I want to be remembered is as a good person from a small village in Mallorca,” said the 38-year-old.
With a clear two-set defeat against Botic van de Zandschulp, Nadal initiated the hosts’ surprising 1-2 defeat in the quarterfinals of the Davis Cup Finals. As a cheering spectator in the stands, he saw his time as an active player come to an end with the defeat of the Spanish double without any involvement of his own.
What followed at the Palacio de Deportes José María Martín Carpena was unworthy of the historical moment. Tournament director Feliciano Lopez had announced a “very special farewell”. But the organizers were apparently not prepared for it to come so quickly.
Nadal tears
After a few delays, Nadal had the floor. In a long speech, the Mallorcan thanked his family and many companions and summarized: “I leave with the certainty that I have left a sporting and personal legacy that I can be proud of. I was lucky enough to receive so much affection from the all over the world, especially here in Spain.” His wife Maria and his two-year-old son Rafael listened to the words in the stands with emotion.
For a long time, Nadal was able to hold back tears during the initially surprisingly emotionless honor. But when messages from Roger Federer or Novak Djokovic and Spanish soccer stars like Andrés Iniesta or Raúl appeared on the video cube, tears flowed.
“It was a great honor to play with and against you,” said Nadal’s long-time opponent and current friend Federer. “The passion and your intensity was something that inspired so many players,” said Andy Murray.
Modest even when saying goodbye
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Nadal will be remembered above all for his impeccable character and his modesty. “I tried to be a good person and I hope you noticed that,” said the veteran star in Malaga. “I was a child who followed his dream and achieved more than I ever imagined.”
22 Grand Slam titles, the French Open 14 times, two gold medals at the Olympics, five Davis Cup and 36 Masters 1000 titles are impressive evidence of this.
“Gracias,” was the headline of the sports newspaper “Marca” hundreds of times on page one on Wednesday. And “Mundo Deportivo” wrote: “His legacy remains, regardless of Malaga. Thank you, Rafa. Forever and ever. (…) He leaves an indelible legacy.” 23-time Grand Slam winner Serena Williams also agreed with this on Instagram. “Your legacy will never die. Watching your career from the beginning to today has been an honor, champion! Long live Rafa!”
Paris 2022 as the last great triumph
Nadal basically said goodbye to sports a while ago. His last highlight was winning the French Open 2022. He pushed his body to its limits one last time in his tennis living room.
Actually, this 22nd Grand Slam title would have been the perfect time for Nadal to end his career. But in June 2022, the love for tennis was still too great to put the racket down.
Nadal repeatedly struggled through rehab after injuries. Now he had once again tried everything at his academy in Mallorca to get himself in shape for the final act of his career.
Not a perfect farewell
But the physical strain of a 22-year career could no longer be concealed in his last game. “My body told me that it doesn’t want to play tennis anymore and I have to accept that,” said Nadal. He played his last official match against Djokovic at the Olympics in Paris at the end of July. Even then he was no longer an equal opponent.
There is no such thing as a perfect farewell, Nadal, who won 1,080 matches in his career, recently said. And that proved true on Tuesday.
“In a way, maybe it’s good if this was my last game, because I lost my first game in the Davis Cup and I lost my last one. So it’s come full circle,” Nadal said philosophically after his defeat. But the former clay court king would have deserved a somewhat more dignified setting.
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