Nadal sheds tears as friend and rival bid farewell

Everyone knows Rafael Nadal's career is over this week. But the early end came suddenly.

Rafael Nadal has won just about everything during his impressive career. 22-time Grand Slam champion, 14-time French Open champion, 14-time Olympic gold medal. But when his tennis career ended abruptly in Malaga, he didn't want to be measured by titles and trophies.

“I want people to remember me as a nice guy from a small village in Mallorca,” Nadal said after Spain's exit from the Davis Cup final.

Nadal beat Botik van der Zandschulp in two clear sets in Monday night's quarter-finals, surprisingly beating the Dutch 1-2. As a cheering spectator in the stands, he finally saw how his time as a current player had ended with Spain's double defeat shortly after midnight, in which he had no involvement.

The organizers were also surprised

The organizers obviously weren't really prepared for that night. Some time passed before the farewell ceremony for one of the world's greatest athletes began. In a long speech, Nadal thanked his family and many companions. His wife Maria and two-year-old son Rafael listened to these words in the stands and were filled with emotion.

For a long time, Nadal held back tears as he received what was initially a surprisingly emotionless honor. But when messages about Spanish football stars such as Roger Federer or Novak Djokovic and Andres Iniesta or Raul appeared on the video cube, people shed tears.

“A lot of people are working hard. A lot of people are trying their best every day. I'm lucky. I'm a kid who pursued a dream and achieved more than I could have dreamed of,” Nadal said, receiving a final shout-out from the fans. cheer.

Final drudgery unrewarded

Over the past few weeks, the 38-year-old has once again tried everything at the academy in Mallorca to prepare for the final act of his career. But the physical stress of a 22-year career could no longer be concealed in his final game.

Since winning his last Grand Slam title at the 2022 French Open, Nadal has only been able to compete sporadically. He has been sidelined by injuries multiple times. At the end of July, he played his last official match at the Paris Olympics, against Serbian Novak Djokovic. Malaga should have a few games left. But nothing came of it. (Raham/Syrian Development Authority/Department of Political Affairs)