Rafael Nadal has clearly lost what may have been the last game of his impressive tennis career. The 22-time Grand Slam tournament winner had to admit defeat 4:6, 4:6 in the quarterfinals against Botic van de Zandschulp from the Netherlands at the Davis Cup final tournament in Malaga and was never able to return to his glory days.
After 1:52 hours the game at the Palacio de Deportes José María Martín Carpena was over. The defeat does not mean the end for Spain. In the second singles, Carlos Alcaraz won against Tallon Griekspoor, and only then was there a decisive doubles match. After the performance against van de Zandschulp, it is unlikely that Nadal will be used again if Spain advances. It became too clear that the 38-year-old is no longer physically capable of performing at a top level. “He was better than me, there’s nothing more to say. “It’s no longer necessary to analyze much,” said Nadal after the game, but then made it clear: “If I were the team captain, I would probably replace myself – that was probably my last game.”
Even before Nadal had even set foot on Center Court, the first shouts of “Rafa, Rafa” were echoing through the arena. There was deafening cheers when the Mallorcan was introduced; Nadal was already clearly struggling with his emotions at this point. The Spanish tennis legend’s eyes moistened when the national anthem played.
The Spanish fans continued to encourage Nadal during the game. And the long-time number one in the world could use all the support. The 38-year-old had not played an official match since his second-round exit at the Olympic Games in Paris against the Serbian Novak Djokovic. And this lack of match practice became clear from the start.
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