MALAGA, Spain — Rafael Nadal's professional tennis career is over, his last match being a 6-4, 6-4 loss to Botic van de Zandsschulp of the Netherlands in the Davis Cup.
This loss, combined with a doubles loss by Carlos Alcaraz and Marcel Granollers to Wesley Kuhlhoff and Van de Zantsschulp 7-6 (4), 7-6 (3), resulted in Spain being eliminated from the Davis Cup. , Nadal has also come to an end. , one of the most successful players in the history of the sport, confirmed he will retire at the Davis Cup in October.
Nadal was reminded of his old self when he lost to Van de Zantsschulp, but it was all too short. Several aces are made at critical moments. Snapped backhand overhead. He ran away from the net and chased a lob that was hit back with a spin overhead.
In the end, his game turned out to be too meek to survive a powerful, modern player like van der Zandschulp. The strokes that would once have sent the ball up the court became shorter, allowing the Dutchman to take control from Nadal's racket.
With Nadal out, it was left to Carlos Alcaraz to save him and save Spain. Alcaraz reached the halfway mark by winning a singles match, but then lost in doubles to Van de Zandsschulp and Wesley Koolhof, along with Marcus Granolles, in straight sets.
Nadal sat courtside with his teammates, urging Granolles and Alcaraz to continue, then standing up and pumping two fists each, trying to make them persist and give them another chance on court.
The match went into two tie-breaks. Kuhlhoff and van de Zantsschulp played their best tennis when it mattered, putting the weight of saving Nadal's career into the next round on the Spaniard. The Netherlands took the first match 7-4. In the second, Van de Zantsschulp led the Netherlands to victory with a volley from the sideline and a brilliant passing shot. Kuhlhoff, 35, will also retire here. He wasn't ready to leave. he celebrated.
Nadal stood and crossed his arms. The end has come.
Rafael Nadal retires from tennis
Rafael Nadal won the Davis Cup four times with Spain. This shouldn't have happened. (Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
Once that was done, he tried to address the crowd in Spanish. He was drowned out by the cries of “Rafa, Rafa, Rafa” that followed him around the world. Then they let the heroes speak.
“I feel really lucky to have been given so much,” he said.
“This is an incredible privilege and an honor that we have enjoyed. We have achieved so much,” he told members of the Spanish tennis team, past and present. . Alcaraz looked at his lowest on the sidelines.
“No one wants to arrive at this moment. I'm not tired of playing tennis,” Nadal said.
“My body has reached the point where I can no longer play. I am honored to have extended my career longer than I expected. I am grateful for life and my team,” he added.
Video tributes poured in from legends and rivals including Serena Williams, Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Conchita Martinez and Juan Martin del Potro. Some of the biggest names in Spanish sport spoke out, including Ballon d'Or holder Rodri, former Spain captain and goalkeeper Iker Casillas, striker Raul and golfer Sergio Garcia. David Beckham addressed Nadal in Spanish.
“I have tried to achieve my goals with respect, humility, and gratitude for the good things I have experienced.I have tried to be a good person, but you I think he also felt that. I left the world of professional tennis because I found a lot of friends,” Nadal said.
Alcaraz then delivered his own tribute to X, also in Spanish. “There will be more Davis Cups. There is only one Rafa.
“I was able to become a professional tennis player because of you. It was a blessing to live your career, both as a child who I idolized and as your teammate! Best wishes that will leave a lasting legacy. Ambassador,” he wrote.
It's the end of a two-year span for Nadal, who has struggled with form and fitness since winning his last Grand Slam title at Roland Garros in 2022.
He retired with 22 Grand Slam titles, second only to Djokovic's 24 in men's tennis history. He also won two Olympic gold medals (one singles and one doubles) and four Davis Cups, bringing his total singles titles to 92.
Nadal, now 38, made his professional tennis debut in 2001 at the Futures Tournament, the third tier of the ATP Tour. He started playing with the Challengers (ranked up but still one place below the ATP Tour's main tour) in late 2002 and made his main tour and Grand Slam debut the following year, reaching the third round of Wimbledon.
Two years later, he won his first Grand Slam at Roland Garros, the first of 14 titles at the tournament, but retired with a record of 112 wins and 4 losses in 116 matches. He won four consecutive French Open titles from 2005 to 2008, and a few weeks after winning that fourth title, he defeated Roger Federer at Wimbledon, the classic tournament of the 2000s, making him the only major player in the non-clay tournament. He achieved his first victory.
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Nadal won his first Australian Open six months later in January 2009, but suffered his first-ever loss to Robin Soderling in the fourth round at Roland Garros that year. He won five more consecutive French Opens from 2010 to 2014, and completed a “career grand slam” at the age of 24 by winning the 2010 US Open.
Injuries and a crisis of confidence led to two lean years in 2015 and 2016, but he bounced back under the guidance of new coach Carlos Moya and won his 10th French Open and his 3rd US Open in 2017. He won the championship for the first time. The title “La Decima'' in Paris marked a new beginning. He won four consecutive French Open titles from 2017 to 2020, the last time defeating Djokovic in straight sets. His best noir.
In 2022, he surpassed Federer on the men's Grand Slam leaderboard with his 21st and 22nd major wins at the Australian Open and French Open, making his 14th title in Paris his last Grand Slam. Ta.
Although best known for his ferocious and unyielding will to win, Nadal is also one of the greatest shot-makers in tennis history, and along with Djokovic is perhaps the most complete baseliner in the history of the sport, with a high It was propelled by a slashing forehand with enough topspin to kick it up. He fooled his opponents off the court. The rivalry between Federer and Djokovic, which became known as the “Big 3,” produced some of the most memorable and high-quality matches in tennis history, with each pushing the other to new heights and becoming the world's best three players. created people. A look back at the history of men's tennis.
Two of them have now resigned.
(Top photo: Oscar J. Barroso/Getty Images)
