Angel Martinez/Getty Photographs 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 remaining 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 have been distinctive.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion has simply performed his remaining 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 quite a lot of accidents over the previous two years which have taken a toll on him on the court docket. He performed simply 24 matches because the begin of 2023 after lacking nearly a complete yr with a hip damage. The load of his accidents was prevalent over his remaining two years, particularly in Tuesday’s loss.
When he introduced his retirement in October, he famous the pressure accidents have brought on him lately.
“The fact is that it has been some tough years, these final two particularly,” Nadal stated. “I do not suppose I’ve been capable of play with out limitations. It’s clearly a tough choice, one which has taken me a while to make. However on this life, all the things 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 far more profitable than I ever may have imagined.”
Rafa Nadal @RafaelNadal
Mil gracias a todos
Many due to 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 completed nearly all the things he may have requested for.
He received his first profession grand slam in 2010 when he defeated rival Novak Djokovic within the U.S. Open remaining, turning 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 file 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.
