Rafael Nadal justifies his ‘emotional reaction’ during Spain’s national anthem at Davis Cup
Rafael Nadal shared the reasons behind his emotional reaction during Spain's national anthem at the Davis Cup Finals.
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Rafael Nadal (L) got emotional while singing the national anthem (via X)
Rafael Nadal ended his professional career at the Davis Cup Finals after stepping onto the court for the last time on Tuesday (November 19). During the Spanish national anthem before the tie between the Netherlands and Spain, he broke down in tears.
Nadal later revealed the reasons behind his emotional feelings during the national anthem. He gave his best on the court against Dutch star Botic van de Zandschulp in the opening match of the best-of-three series at the Davis Cup.
Despite showing some glimpses of his old full-blooded forehand and volley strikes, it was not enough to capture a much-needed victory. The 38-year-old was beaten 4-6, 4-6 to give the Netherlands a 1-0 lead in the tie.
Spain launched a comeback through Carlos Alcaraz, who had a shaky start but did well to defeat Tallon Griekspoor 7-6(0), 6-3 to force a doubles decider. However, Van de Zandschulp and Wesley Koohlof came out strong, beating Alcaraz and Marcel Granollers 7-6 (4), 7-6 (3) to secure a 2-1 victory for the Netherlands.
Despite the defeat, Nadal getting emotional during the Spanish national anthem came under the spotlight. He revealed after the defeat that he was in tears as it would be the last time he would hear the national anthem as a player.
Of course the emotions feeling the national anthem for the last time as a professional was very special. A bit of mixed feelings makes things a bit more difficult. But that’s it. We went on court. We live that moment. I tried to do my best.
Rafael Nadal said
Spain has exited the Davis Cup Finals despite being host, while the Netherlands will face either Germany or Canada in the semifinals. The last time the Spanish team won the Davis Cup was in 2019.
Rafael Nadal leaves “a legacy” behind after retirement from tennis
Rafael Nadal has retired from professional tennis having achieved all that the sport has to offer. The Mallorca native remains the greatest clay court player in the history of tennis, having won the French Open 14 times and holding a 112-4 win-loss record at Roland Garros.
The former World No. 1’s career record of 1,080-228 in tour-level singles events is the fourth best in the world in the Open Era. Nadal is behind Jimmy Connors (1,274), Roger Federer (1,251) and Novak Djokovic (1,124). He revealed during his official farewell ceremony at the Davis Cup that he is leaving tennis with peace of mind.
I leave with the peace of mind that I have left a legacy, which I really feel is not just a sporting one but a personal one. I understand that the love I have received, if it was just for what happened on the court, would not be the same.
Rafael Nadal said (via Japan Times)
Nadal has 92 titles to his name, including 22 Grand Slams and 36 Masters 1000 titles. He spent 206 weeks at the top of the ATP rankings and was year-end World No.1 five times in his career.
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Victor Okechukwu
(688 Articles Published)