The tennis legend played his last match in Malaga as part of the Davis Cup.
More than 20 years of high-level career and 22 Grand Slam tournaments later, including 14 titles in his backyard at Roland Garros, the time has come for the immense tennis champion Rafael Nadal to bow out.
After being eliminated in the Davis Cup on Tuesday, the Spaniard bid farewell to his fans at his home in Malaga.
“Throughout these 20 years, you have carried me on your shoulders, helped me win in the good times and pushed me to keep fighting in the bad..” he declared.
Tributes have followed one another since yesterday in the world of tennis and sports.
A moving farewell ceremony for Nadal
It was during a tribute ceremony for Nadal, organized on the court after the match, that he cried and cried, in front of the chorus of “Raaa-faaa” from the spectators, in front of the video (below ) showing the highlights of his more than two decades on the circuit and the collection of tributes recorded by current or former players such as his two great lifelong rivals Roger Federer and Novak Djokovicbut also Serena Williams, Conchita Martinez, Juan Carlos Ferrero or Andy Murray, and stars of other sports like the golfer Sergio Garcia or footballers like David Beckham, or Raul.
They thanked him for everything and wished him good luck in his retirement…at only 38 years old!
