Rafael Nadal to retire after this season' Davis Cup Finals [Update at Post#152]

[The Bald Eagle]

Retiring superstar Rafael Nadal says he will not be distracted by emotion as he aims to help Spain win the Davis Cup in the final tournament of his illustrious career

Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam champion, will retire from tennis after representing his nation at the men's team event in Malaga.

Spain play the Netherlands in the quarter-finals on Tuesday, but it remains unclear if 38-year-old Nadal will be fit enough to play a significant part.

The former world number one has played only seven tournaments this year after battling various injuries over the past couple of seasons.

"I'm not here for retiring. I'm here to help the team win," said Nadal, who announced last month he was planning to quit here.

"It’s a team competition and the most important thing is to all stay focused on what we have to do - that is play tennis and do it very well.

"The emotions are going to be for the end."

Nadal has played a significant part in five Davis Cup victories for his nation and another would be the perfect way to bookend his career.

If Spain beat the Netherlands, they will move into a semi-final against Germany or Canada on Friday.

The final takes place on Sunday.

Spain have a strong squad headed by French Open and Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz, with Roberto Bautista Agut, Pedro Martinez - both ranked inside the top 50 of the ATP singles - and doubles specialist Marcel Granollers completing the team.

Nadal, ranked 154th in the world, arrived in Malaga on Thursday and has been practising with the other members of the team over the past three days.

Spanish captain David Ferrer said he "doesn't know yet" if Nadal, who has not played since a chastening defeat by long-time rival Novak Djokovic at the Paris Olympics in early August, will be ready.

"You will know tomorrow. For the moment, I have not decided the players that are going to play," Ferrer said.

Source: BBC

 

[BouncerGuy]

Federer pays tribute to Nadal for 'epic career'

Roger Federer says Rafael Nadal "made the whole tennis world proud" during his "epic career" as he paid tribute to his former rival before his retirement.

Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam champion, will bring an end to his illustrious career aged 38 after representing Spain at the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga this week.

Federer, who retired in 2022 with 20 Grand Slams, won 16 matches and lost 24 - including an epic final at Wimbledon in 2008 - in the 40 times he faced Nadal.

"As you get ready to graduate from tennis, I've got a few things to share before I maybe get emotional," wrote 43-year-old Federer on Instagram.

"Let's start with the obvious: you beat me - a lot. More than I managed to beat you. You challenged me in ways no-one else could.

"On clay, it felt like I was stepping into your backyard, and you made me work harder than I ever thought I could just to hold my ground.

Federer added that Nadal made him "reimagine" his game, to the extent that the Swiss changed the size of his racquet head.

A 37-year-old Federer triumphed in the pair's final encounter, in 2019 at Wimbledon, but it was a 17-year-old Nadal who won their first meeting, in 2004.

"I thought I was on top of the world. And I was - until two months later, when you walked on the court in Miami in your red sleeveless shirt, showing off those biceps, and you beat me convincingly.

"All that buzz I'd been hearing about you about this amazing young player from Mallorca, a generational talent, probably going to win a major someday - it wasn't just hype.

"We were both at the start of our journey and it's one we ended up taking together. Twenty years later, Rafa, I have to say: What an incredible run you've had. Including 14 French Opens - historic!

"You made Spain proud... you made the whole tennis world proud."

Federer teamed up with Nadal for the final match of his career when the pair - affectionately nicknamed 'Fedal' - played together in the doubles for Europe against the Rest of the World at the Laver Cup.

Both players were in tears as Federer bowed out of the game.

"Sharing the court with you that night, and sharing those tears, will forever be one of the most special moments of my career."

He added: "Rafa, I know you're focused on the last stretch of your epic career.

"We will talk when it's done. For now, I just want to congratulate your family and team, who all played a massive role in your success.

"And I want you to know that your old friend is always cheering for you, and will be cheering just as loud for everything you do next."

BBC

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Retiring Nadal loses at farewell Davis Cup

Rafael Nadal was beaten in what might prove to be the final match of his career as the start of his Davis Cup retirement party fell flat.

Spanish great Nadal, who has won 22 Grand Slam titles, will end his tennis playing journey after the men's team event in Malaga.

It had been unclear whether the 38-year-old former world number one would be ready to play in the singles. But even though he had not played competitively for over three months, Nadal was selected by Spain captain David Ferrer.

The move backfired in front of a partisan Spanish crowd as Nadal lost 6-4 6-4 to Botic van de Zandschulp, who admirably stayed composed in testing conditions to put the Netherlands 1-0 ahead in the quarter-final.

If Spain are unable to overturn the deficit in the best-of-three tie, there will be no other opportunity for Nadal to take to the court as a professional again.

Nadal took time to linger in the centre of the court after his defeat, showing gratitude by waving to all sides of the arena as 11,500 fans packed out the Palacio de Deportes.

Rafael Nadal: Retiring superstar loses for Spain at farewell Davis Cup

Rafael Nadal loses in what might prove to be the final match of his career as Davis Cup hosts Spain fall behind against the Netherlands.

www.bbc.com

 

[BouncerGuy]

'Gracias Rafa' - why retiring Nadal means so much

When travelling along the motorway past Malaga's Palacio de Deportes this week, it was impossible not to spot the ginormous canvas paying tribute to the retiring Rafael Nadal.

The middle of the banner has a cartoonish depiction of Nadal in a familiar pose.

Biceps bulging out of a sleeveless shirt, sweaty scalp wrapped in a white bandana, plastered fingers on his left hand gripping a racquet.

The caricature is sandwiched between two words: "Gracias Rafa."

A simple message, which evokes a multitude of memories for almost an entire nation, neatly summed up what Nadal means to Spain.

"Gracias is the first word which comes to mind when you reflect on everything we have witnessed over the past 20 years, watching Rafa play," Feliciano Lopez, Nadal's former Davis Cup team-mate and a close friend for more than 20 years, told BBC Sport.

"We can only be thankful to him, to experience and live what he has achieved.

"Nobody in Spain could have ever imagined before him that we would have someone who could achieve so much on a tennis court."

The achievements have to be seen in writing to be believed: 22 Grand Slam titles, 92 ATP Tour titles, two Olympic gold medals, four Davis Cup final triumphs, 209 weeks as world number one, 912 consecutive weeks in the top 10.

No wonder the fans flocked to Malaga on Tuesday - at varying costs - for what proved to the final match of his career after he lost in Spain's defeat by the Netherlands in the Davis Cup quarter-finals.

They cheered. They cried. They even celebrated missed first serves by the Dutch in a football-style atmosphere.

When tickets went on sale for the tie, well before Nadal announced his farewell plans, they were being picked up for €55 (£45).

On Tuesday morning €25,000 (£21,000) was needed to secure one from a resale website.

Fans arrived early and patiently waited in long queues which snaked around the Jose Maria Martin Carpena Arena

Spanish red and yellow was ubiquitous in the form of Nadal t-shirts, Zorro-style cordobes hats and football scarves.

Inside the 11,500-capacity stadium, plenty held aloft cardboard signs - colourful and creative DIY jobs - with personal messages.

Like on the gigantic banner outside, the LED screens flashed 'Gracias Rafa' during his emotional farewell speech. Gratitude and grief intertwined.

Lopez believes the message summed up the mood of the nation - and beyond.

"His contribution to the whole country has been massive. But not only his titles and everything he has achieved as a human being," he said.

"I think 'Gracias Rafa' is something that every tennis fan in the world is thinking right now."

The range of Nadal's appeal is broad and it was striking to see how mixed the Malaga crowd was. Young and old, female and male, groups and individuals.

Nadal strikes a chord with the person on the street. He also has the King of Spain on speed dial.

"Nadal means everything. Not only because he is one of the best players but because of how he is as a person," said Javier Ibanez, who had travelled 250 miles from Murcia for the occasion with his friend Pedro Ayala.

"He has good values which we cherish. It is respect for his rivals, his humbleness, but most of all his fighting spirit.

"He inspires others to fight in every problem they have in their whole life, not only in tennis."

Showing a humbleness which motivates others was illustrated off court when, in 2018, he led from the front to help his home island of Mallorca recover from devastating flash flooding.

Pushing away the slurry water with a bristled brush became a defining image.

It also showed the love which proud homebird Nadal retains for his roots. Despite travelling to every corner of the globe to play the sport he adores, he has never permanently left his hometown of Manacor.

But the talent honed by the tough-love tutelage of his uncle Toni, who guided Nadal from a toddler to his 16th major title in 2017, was too great not to be appreciated further afield.

The other place with which Nadal will always be associated is Paris.

The City of Love has played host to the 'King of Clay's' greatest triumphs, racking up a tally of 14 French Open victories which few think will ever be bettered.

In the hours after Nadal played what has proved to be the final match of his career in Malaga, a striking piece of digital art appeared in the French capital.

The installation, created by his long-time sponsor Nike, projected iconic images of Nadal onto a purpose-built stand in Trocadero.

Nadal stood next to the Eiffel Tower. One Parisian icon standing shoulder to shoulder with another.

When Nadal emerged as a prodigious teenager, making his ATP Tour debut in 1999 aged 15, he was known simply for being the nephew of Barcelona and Spain footballer Miguel Angel.

Fast forward a couple of decades and he is retiring as one of the most recognisable athletes on the planet.

"He is the biggest athlete we've had in the history of our country, by far," said Lopez, who ranked NBA basketballer Pau Gasol and World Cup-winning footballer Andres Iniesta just behind.

"I say that with all respect to other athletes because we've had plenty of very good ones.

"But we have experienced so many things with him that we haven't experienced with other athletes. There is no-one like Rafa."

BBC

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Clay king Rafael Nadal makes a French Open comeback

Clay king Rafael Nadal is returning to Roland Garros. But the Spaniard who is a winner of 22 Grand Slam titles, including 14 at the French Open, will make a comeback not as a player but as a voice-over artist in the tournament’s official teaser trailer.

The 38-year-old Nadal retired in 2024 after playing for Spain in the Davis Cup after being plagued by injuries for a long time.

Clay king Rafael Nadal makes a French Open comeback

The 38-year-old Nadal retired in 2024 after playing for Spain in the Davis Cup

gulfnews.com

 

[BouncerGuy]

Roland Garros to Honor Rafa Nadal with Special Tribute

Roland Garros is rolling out the red carpet for tennis icon Rafael Nadal, as the legendary Spaniard is set to be honored in style this Sunday. It's been two decades since Nadal first stamped his indelible mark on the tournament, and the ceremony promises to be as grand as his career has been illustrious. Nadal, a 14-time champion at the French Open from 2005 to 2022, has become synonymous with the event, and this weekend will see a celebration of his extraordinary journey at the iconic clay court.

Nadal’s reign at Roland Garros is the stuff of legends. Imagine a staggering 81 consecutive victories on the Parisian clay and a record that stands at 121 wins against a mere quartet of losses—truly, he has reigned supreme. On May 25, organizers have orchestrated a special event to pay homage to the maestro who hoisted the Coupe des Mousquetaires 14 times.

Post the excitement of three daytime matches on the storied Philippe-Chatrier court, an official ceremony will illuminate Nadal's legacy and mark his first season since retiring. Moreover, an immersive exhibition dedicated to the Spanish star will welcome fans throughout the tournament at the Roland-Garros Tenniseum, offering a journey through his stellar career.

The story began 20 years ago, on May 23, 2005, when a spirited Nadal took to the Roland Garros courts just shy of his 19th birthday. Having missed the 2004 edition due to a foot injury, Nadal arrived not only as a rising star but as a force to be reckoned with. After a breakthrough clay-court season with titles in Monte Carlo, Barcelona, and Rome, he entered the French Open ranked No. 5 in the world, an incredible leap from No. 51 at the year's start.

The image of the young Nadal, with his dark locks tamed by a white headband, in a sleeveless green shirt and pirate-style shorts, soon became iconic. His fiery "Vamos!" celebrations, fist pumps, and high knee lifts captivated audiences and heralded the dawn of a new era.

Read more: Carlos Alcaraz Faces Tough Challenge as Tennis Legend Carlos Moya Joins Sinner Team

After five commanding victories, Nadal advanced to the semifinals on his beloved Philippe-Chatrier court, where he faced then world No. 1 Roger Federer, holder of four Grand Slam titles. Nadal then embarked on claiming four straight French Open titles before his first Roland Garros defeat in 2009 to Robin Soderling.

His legacy at Roland Garros is unmatched—14 titles over 17 years, with the last trophy hoisted in 2022 following his victory over Casper Ruud. This tribute not only celebrates Nadal's astonishing feats but also the indelible mark he has left on the tournament and the sport of tennis.

Roland Garros to Honor Rafa Nadal with Special Tribute

Roland Garros is rolling out the red carpet for tennis icon Rafael Nadal, as the legendary Spaniard is set to be honored in style this Sunday It's been two decades since Nadal first stamped his

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