Rafael Nadal bids farewell to tennis after Spain's Davis Cup defeat; WATCH King of Clay's emotional goodbye

Rafael Nadal's legendary tennis career came to an emotional end as Spain fell to the Netherlands in the Davis Cup quarter-finals in Malaga on Tuesday night.

The 38-year-old, who recently announced the men's team event would mark his retirement, was defeated 6-4, 6-4 by Botic van de Zandschulp in front of a packed home crowd. Despite the loss, Nadal received a heartfelt farewell from fans celebrating his 22 Grand Slam victories and two decades of excellence.

Carlos Alcaraz, Spain's rising star and Nadal's successor, kept the tie alive with a 7-6 (7-0), 6-3 victory over Tallon Griekspoor in the second singles match. However, the decisive doubles match saw Alcaraz and Marcel Granollers narrowly lose 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-3) to Van de Zandschulp and Wesley Koolhof, sealing the Netherlands' victory.

Addressing the crowd, Nadal reflected on his journey: "It has been 20 years of a professional career in which you have carried me through the good times, and in the bad you pushed me to keep playing."

"I want to congratulate the Netherlands and thank the whole Spanish team that is here, who have let me play the Davis Cup again, which has not gone as we all wanted. I have given everything I had. The truth is that you never want to get to this point. I'm not tired of playing tennis but my body doesn't want to play anymore and you have to accept that. I feel super privileged, I've been able to make my hobby my profession for a long time," the 22-time Grand Slam champion added.

Nadal's final goodbye

As the match concluded, Rafael Nadal, seated alongside his Spanish teammates on the bench, stepped onto the court to console Carlos Alcaraz and Marcel Granollers. Both players sat silently, heads bowed, as the victorious Dutch team celebrated their semifinal berth.

The 11,500-strong crowd in the Palacio de Deportes arena stayed behind, chanting "Rafa, Rafa, Rafa" one last time as they awaited the end of the post-match interviews. When Nadal finally took center stage, he was met with a standing ovation and an applause that lasted over a minute, a fitting tribute to his extraordinary career.

Among those in the stands were Nadal’s family: his wife, Mery, their young son Rafael Jr., his parents Ana Maria and Sebastian, and his sister Maribel. Longtime members of Nadal’s backroom team donned T-shirts bearing the logo of the "Raging Bull," a moniker that symbolized his relentless spirit on the court.

A video montage of his career highlights followed, featuring messages from sports legends including Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams, Andy Murray, David Beckham, Andres Iniesta, Raul, and Sergio Garcia.

As the video ended, the applause resumed, filling the arena with appreciation for one of the greatest players in tennis history. Blowing kisses to the crowd, Nadal walked off the court for the last time as a professional, marking the end of an era.

The legacy of Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal retires as the second-most successful men’s singles player in Grand Slam history, with 22 major titles, surpassed only by his long-time rival Novak Djokovic.

Dubbed the 'King of Clay,' Nadal achieved an unparalleled 14 French Open titles, boasting an extraordinary record of 112 wins from 116 matches at Roland Garros. No player has ever matched his dominance at a single Grand Slam event.

Beyond his clay-court mastery, Nadal claimed four US Open titles and triumphed twice each at Wimbledon and the Australian Open.

His illustrious career also includes Olympic gold medals in both singles and doubles, and he was instrumental in leading Spain to four Davis Cup victories, most recently in 2019. Although injury sidelined him for the final in 2008, his earlier contributions were crucial to that win.