Rafael Nadal's recent farewell has disappointed most fans and insiders. The ceremony for his retirement took place on Tuesday, November 19 in Malaga, after Spain was eliminated in the quarterfinals by Netherlands at the 2024 Davis Cup Finals.

As Rafael Nadal prepared to serve in what turned out to be the last tennis match of his career, a woman’s voice broke the silence from the stands: “You make Spain proud!” Not long after that, Nadal was wiping away tears from his face and waving goodbye to his fans.

Rafael Nadal's retirement leaves a huge gap on the court, but at least a few things he stood for will forever remain.

Rafael Nadal is heading into retirement after Spain was eliminated from the Davis Cup. The 38-year-old Nadal announced in October that he would retire from professional tennis after the team event, which is being played in southern Spain.

He also spent his entire career battling his own body, with Nadal’s injuries both acute and chronic carving the trajectory of his career and to an extent the way he played tennis. King of clay. Warrior.

Nadal then propelled himself from world No. 199 to No. 49 in 2003, winning Challenger titles and matches at Masters 1000 events, as well as recording his first two wins over top 10 opponents – including his current coach, Carlos Moyá. The following year would be Nadal’s breakthrough on tour and cement his place as a Spanish hero.

"The truth is that nobody ever wants to arrive at this moment," said Nadal, who had announced his plans for retirement in October.