Angel Martinez/Getty Pictures for ITF
Rafael Nadal’s legendary tennis profession got here to an finish on Tuesday.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion lost 6-4, 6-4 to the Netherlands’ Botic van de Zandschulp within the Davis Cup. Nadal said in October that the match last could be his final skilled occasion.
Spain was later eradicated from the Davis Cup after Carlos Alcaraz and Marcel Granollers misplaced to Wesley Koolhof and Van de Zandschulp.
BBC Sport @BBCSport
Rafa Nadal, you’ve got been distinctive.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion has simply performed his last match.
What a participant, what a profession. pic.twitter.com/AZb9c0pHdk
“It is in some methods good possibly if that was my final match,” Nadal stated, per Tumaini Carayol of the Guardian. “…I misplaced my first match within the Davis Cup, and I misplaced my final one. So we shut the circle.”
Nadal has handled a variety of accidents over the previous two years which have taken a toll on him on the court docket. He performed simply 24 matches for the reason that begin of 2023 after lacking virtually a whole 12 months with a hip damage. The burden of his accidents was prevalent over his last two years, particularly in Tuesday’s loss.
When he introduced his retirement in October, he famous the pressure accidents have induced him lately.
“The fact is that it has been some troublesome years, these final two particularly,” Nadal stated. “I do not assume I’ve been in a position to play with out limitations. It’s clearly a troublesome resolution, one which has taken me a while to make. However on this life, the whole lot has a starting and an finish. And I believe it is the suitable time to place an finish to a profession that has been lengthy and way more profitable than I ever might have imagined.”
Rafa Nadal @RafaelNadal
Mil gracias a todos
Many because of all
Merci beaucoup à tous
Grazie mille à tutti
谢谢大家
شكرا لكم جميعا
תודה לכולכם
Obrigado a todos
Vielen Dank euch allen
Tack alla
Хвала свима
Gràcies a tots pic.twitter.com/7yPRs7QrOi
Whereas the final two years of his profession did not go how he had hoped, he nonetheless leaves the game having achieved virtually the whole lot he might have requested for.
He received his first profession grand slam in 2010 when he defeated rival Novak Djokovic within the U.S. Open last, changing into the youngest male tennis participant to win all 4 main titles. From there, he received two Australian Opens, 14 French Opens, 4 U.S. Opens and was a two-time champion at Wimbledon.
He held the document for essentially the most main males’s singles titles with 22 till Djokovic surpassed him. He additionally received Olympic gold medals for Spain in 2008 and 2016.
