Legend Rafael Nadal Closes Career As Spain Falls To The Netherlands In Davis Cup

It was a tough day for Rafael Nadal who watched on the sideline as his Spanish doubles team lost the deciding tie to the Netherlands Tuesday in the quarterfinals of the Davis Cup in Malaga, Spain.

Nadal had earlier began the tie with a surprise entry in the No. 2 singles. But the star showed that he hadn’t played since the Paris Olympics as Botic van de Zandschulp eased to a 6-4, 6-4.

Nadal tried to feed off his home crowd energy, but his lack of form, power, and pace could not overcome the tricky Dutchman.

Carlos Alcaraz kept Nadal’s career going a few more hours getting past Tallon Griekspoor 7-6(0), 6-3.

Alcaraz would then join former doubles No. 1 Marcel Granollers to take on Van de Zandschulp and the also-retiring Wesley Koolhof.

Nadal was watching from the sidelines hoping his team would get the win and prolong his career to a semifinal match on Friday. It wasn’t to be.

The Dutch were firm and Koolhof, a 2-time Slam champion, played some of the best tennis of his career. The Duo cruised on serve in both breakers to take the tie 7-6(4), 7-6(3).

Well after midnight, a lengthy 30-minute ceremony for Nadal followed on court to a packed house.

“Of course have been an emotional day, nerves before what can be my last match as a professional. That’s the way that I felt that. And then, yeah, of course the emotions, feeling the national anthem for the last time like professional have been, you know, very special. And then of course a little bit of mixed feelings makes the things a little bit more difficult.”

Nadal offered this amazing stat.

“It’s in some ways good maybe if that was my last match. I lost my first match in the Davis Cup, and I lost my last one, so we close the circle,” said Nadal who in between won 29 straight matches.

“I had the luck that my uncle was a tennis coach when I was a very small kid and a great family who had the chance to support me in every moment,” he said.

“Just a kid that followed their dreams, worked as hard as possible to be where I am today. At the end of the day a lot of people work hard and try their best every single day, but I am one of these that have been very lucky to have the life I’ve been able to live and experience because of tennis.

“I want to be remembered as a good person, a kid that followed their dreams and achieved more than what I ever dreamed.”