Not each athlete will get to exit with a blaze of glory. Rafael Nadal, 38, is now on that checklist of all-time greats who suffered defeat on the way in which out.
The 22-time main winner bowed out of the game with a 6-4, 6-4 loss to the Netherlands’ Botic van de Zandschulp within the opening singles tie of the Davis Cup quarterfinals on Tuesday. Whereas Carlos Alcaraz saved Spain alive with a win over Tallon Griekspoor, the Dutch in the end superior when Van de Zandschulp and Wesley Koolhof prevailed within the remaining doubles encounter of the night.
In consequence, Spain crashed out of the Davis Cup, bringing an finish to Nadal’s storied profession. By the way, Nadal’s Davis Cup profession started with a singles loss to Czechia’s Jiri Novak in 2004. After his loss on Tuesday, Nadal acknowledged that his profession had come full circle.
“It is in some methods good, possibly, if that was my final match,” Nadal stated after his loss when Spain was nonetheless alive within the Davis Cup. “I misplaced my first match within the Davis Cup, and I misplaced my final one. So we shut the circle [laughs].”
Within the lead-up to the match, the Spaniard downplayed the will for an “perfect ending,” telling reporters that fairy-tale endings normally occur solely in Hollywood movies, not actual life.
“My farewell goes to be what it will be,” Nadal had stated.
Nadal’s pragmatic method to his ending is laudable. The “King of Clay” knew his physique had given up on him, and his sport had deteriorated quickly over the previous 12 months. Nonetheless, his followers and friends alike went above and past to remind him of the warrior he was throughout his heyday with an outpouring of messages on Tuesday. Even Nike did its half by lighting up the Nadal emblem subsequent to the Eiffel Tower — fittingly, since he gained 14 French Open titles.
And, after all, Nadal’s biggest rivals — Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray — have been featured in a tribute video the place they detailed how the Spaniard set the bar and compelled others to boost their sport.
