Rafael Nadal’s career ended in the Davis Cup Finals last week, but the tributes to him continue.
The former world number one retired at the age of 38, realising that it made no sense to continue playing without the opportunity of winning the most important titles.
Rafa, a legend who has spent over two decades at the top of men’s tennis, could not accept a secondary role. The 22-time Grand Slam champion asked his body for one last attempt in 2024, which was meant to be his final dance, but the results were not what he had hoped for.
The 14-time French Open champion concentrated on the tournaments where he had been most successful in his career, primarily on red clay (with the exception of the Brisbane tournament at the start of the year), but his level was insufficient to give himself one final major title before retiring.
Poor results at Roland Garros and the Paris Olympics led him to retire, though Rafa took longer than expected to declare his decision. His departure celebration in Malaga was not very memorable, as Spain was eliminated early in the Davis Cup Finals, and many key figures from his career were absent.
Nadal had played very little in the last two years, so he was already adjusted to his life away from tennis. The Manacor icon has a lovely family and will have plenty to keep him busy after retirement, due to his Academy in Mallorca.
The Spanish GOAT
Jose Manuel Rodriguez Uribes, the Spanish Minister of Culture and Sport, just named Rafa the Spanish GOAT.
“Rafa Nadal has undoubtedly been a hero of flesh and blood,” he stated in an interview with The Athletic. “Undoubtedly the best sportsman in our history” – he explained.
The Spaniard finished his career with 22 Grand Slam victories, including 14 at Roland Garros, where he ushered in an era unlike any other (not even Bjorn Borg).
Rafa also won two Australian Opens, two Wimbledons, and four US Opens, establishing himself as a formidable competitor on all surfaces despite the presence of two other giants, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. The Big Three have increased tennis’s popularity and attracted numerous sponsors. Their contributions have been critical to the progress of tennis, and it is hoped that two young champions, such as Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, will take their place in the coming decade. This year’s Grand Slam tournaments have all been won by Italians and Spaniards.
Rennae Stubbs on Rafa’s farewell
Everyone had anticipated for a nicer departure celebration for Rafa, but the Davis Cup Finals organizers were taken aback by Spain’s unexpected quarterfinal loss to the Netherlands. David Ferrer’s decision to employ Nadal in the opening singles proved unsuccessful, paving the way for the Netherlands to win the tie in the critical doubles and lose only in the final against Italy.
The most suitable move would have been to field the Spanish icon in the decisive doubles, where he could have made the difference alongside his friend and compatriot Marcel Granollers (with whom he had practiced extensively in the days leading up to the Finals).
Rennae Stubbs, Serena Williams’ former coach, compared Rafael Nadal’s retirement to that of Steffi Graf in the most recent episode of her podcast. “It’s like Steffi.” It’s intriguing because Steffi simply dropped the microphone and walked away because she was in pain. Her knees, feet, and back were all suffering. She was in love. She had just met Andre and they were dating, but she was different, so she ended it.
She simply walked away, although she is very different from these characters. She did not enjoy being in the spotlight; she preferred to play. I think Rafa is more like Steffi than Roger, Novak, or Andy.”
Stubbs went on to say, “Even the manner he retired and the circumstances around it, it was more about playing at home, being with his family, and there were no other players there. There were only his teammates, so it was kind of low-key, and Rafa felt like that was enough.
Steffi said, ‘Yeah, I don’t need all that pomp and ceremony.’ The first thing I said to her when she told me she was retiring was, “Wait, what? The US Open is in around three weeks. Why don’t you do it there? And she says, ‘Nah, I’m fine.'”
