Rafael Nadal was visibly emotional as he took court for what can be his final appearence in professional tennis on Tuesday (November 19) at the Palacio Deportes Martín Carpena in Malaga, Spain, during the quarterfinal of the 2024 Davis Cup between Spain and the Netherlands.
Both sets of players assembled for the national anthems before the first quarterfinal of the tournament started. As the Spain national anthem was played in front of their home fans, Nadal struggled to control his emotions and broke down in tears. Later, the crowd erupted with 'Rafa' chants in unison.
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An emotional anthem for @RafaelNadal 🥹#DavisCup | @RFETenispic.twitter.com/wZNt3kmB9x
— Davis Cup (@DavisCup) November 19, 2024
Rafael Nadal Set To Bid Tennis Adieu
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Nadal announced his retirement from professional tennis after a career that lasted two decades and saw him win a stunning tally of 22 Grand Slams, including 14 French Open titles. The Davis Cup finals will be his final tournament after struggling with injuries for the last couple of seasons.
There were doubts over whether Nadal will be fit enough to play the match, with speculation he will only play the doubles. However, Spain delighted fans across the world by announcing Nadal would play their opening singles match against Botic Van de Zandschulp.
This could be Nadal's final match in his tennis career if Spain do not win the tie. If the six-time champions emerge victorious, they will face either Germany or Canada in the semi-final on Friday (November 22). The summit clash is scheduled for Sunday (December 24).
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In his career, Nadal has been pivotal in transformation tennis in Spain and been part of a Davis Cup-winning team in 2004, 2009, 2011, and 2019.
Nadal was unable to play either the Australian Open, Wimbledon, or US Open this season due to fitness issues. He was knocked out of the French Open in the first round for the first time in his career after a straight-set defeat to Alexander Zverev.
In the 2024 Paris Olympics, his singles campaign ended in the Round of 32 after a defeat to Novak Djokovic. In the doubles, he and Carlos Alcaraz lost in the quarterfinals to the American pair of Austin Kajicek and Rajeev Ram.