Rafael Nadal’s entourage joins the critics to show disappointment on the Spaniard’s farewell

Rafael Nadal's retirement ceremony in Malaga has received a lot of criticism from the Spaniard's family members.

Rafael Nadal’s entourage joins the critics to show disappointment on the Spaniard’s farewell

Rafael Nadal (via X)

22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal ended his career after Spain’s Davis Cup tie against the Netherlands. The left-hander lost his opening singles match in the quarterfinals to Botic Van de Zandschulp.

After the match, Nadal received many tributes, and a ceremony was held to honor his career. However, the event faced significant criticism. Nadal’s team has expressed dissatisfaction, suggesting that the 22-time Grand Slam champion deserves better farewells in the future.

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The main criticism was the absence of Nadal’s close rivals at the ceremony. Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray did not attend in Malaga but sent video messages to honor Nadal’s career.

There will be other goodbyes and better goodbyes.

Rafael Nadal’s close friend quoted by Clay Tennis

David Ferrer, Carlos Moya, and Toni Nadal have strongly criticized the retirement ceremony. In contrast, Davis Cup tournament director Feliciano Lopez defended it, stating that it was Nadal’s choice to end his career at the Davis Cup.

Former tennis star reveals Rafael Nadal’s most underrated record

Former American tennis player Steve Johnson recently spoke about Rafael Nadal’s incredible dominance on clay during the Nothing Major podcast. Johnson faced Nadal at the 2015 Mutua Madrid Open, which was one of the more challenging years of the left-hander’s career.

Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal (via X)

Despite this, Johnson highlighted the unmatched aura the 22-Grand Slam champion carried on the red clay.

Underrated might be a strong term here but I think it’s winning four French Open titles without dropping a single set. That is absolutely mind-blowing to me. I can’t remember off the top of my head if he had any withdrawals or retirements, but winning 21 sets in a row at a Grand Slam tournament, against the best players in the world is ridiculous, and he did that four times. He never had a bad game, got broken, lost a set and then won, he won 21 straight sets, four times, it’s absolutely mind-blowing to me.

Steve Johnson on ‘Nothing Major’ podcast

Nadal’s dominance on clay courts, particularly at Roland Garros, is legendary. Winning three sets against him on the iconic Philippe Chatrier court was one of the toughest challenges in sports. Robin Soderling was the first player to defeat Nadal at the French Open in 2009, benefiting from the Spaniard’s knee issues.

Rafa’s 14 French Open titles remain a record unlikely to be broken. He also excelled in other clay tournaments like Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Madrid, and Rome. However, Roland Garros was where he solidified his status as the “King of Clay”, consistently overpowering his rivals year after year.

In 2022, Nadal won his last Grand Slam at Roland Garros, despite severe foot pain. He wasn’t expected to compete but chose to anesthetize his foot to play and ultimately lift the trophy. This triumph added another unforgettable chapter to his remarkable career.