Rafael Nadal’s glorious career is over as Spain were knocked out of the Davis Cup quarter-finals by the Netherlands.
In his last event before retirement the 38-year-old lost his singles against Botic van de Zandschulp, then after Carlos Alcaraz won his match Spain lost the deciding doubles.
Asked if it had been a satisfying end, the fiercest competitor this sport has ever known replied: ‘No, satisfying is giving a point to the team. It was not the case, I lost my match. But in this moment of my career, I can’t complain much. I tried my best, I tried to enjoy it and play with the right energy. It just didn’t work.
‘It’s in some ways good if that was my last match: I lost my first match in the Davis Cup, and I lost my last one,’ said the 22-time Grand Slam champion. ‘So we close the circle.’
The prelude to this tie was was pure theatre.
The Spain players trooped out one by one, then in the tunnel there appeared a slash of white in the darkness and the most famous headband in the world emerged.
Rafael Nadal’s career is over after Spain were knocked out of the Davis Cup by the Netherlands
Nadal was beaten 6-4, 6-4 by Botic van de Zandschulp in what proved to be his final ever game
The decision from Spain captain David Ferrer (right) to pick Nadal over Roberto Bautista Agut (left) had been a major talking point ahead of the clash in Malaga on Tuesday evening
As fans in the arena bellowed along to the tune of the wordless Spanish national anthem emotion was etched across Nadal’s cragged face.
During the warm-up the announcer went through all of Nadal’s Grand Slam titles and each was cheered to the steel rafters. It took a while, especially when they reached the French Open. ‘Champion de Roland Garros dos mille cinco’ – ‘ OLE!’ – ‘Dos mille siete’ – ‘OLE’ and so on 14 times.
As a celebration of this champion of champions it was breathtaking but once the serious business it became clear Nadal was in trouble. He covered the court well enough but struggled to get much thrust behind his groundstrokes, his forehands lacking their former fizz.
Nadal’s selection was controversial: in pure sporting terms, surely captain David Ferrer ought to have picked the dependable Roberto Bautista Agut? But with Nadal playing his final event before retirement it would have been a brave man to deny the 11,500 crowd the sight they had come to see.
Nadal’s insisted he had been selected purely on merit and not sentiment.
‘I really believe that David put on the field the player who he feels had the best chance to win,’ he said. ‘Since the beginning I told him he doesn’t need to feel any pressure to put me in.
‘Of course, putting myself on the field to play the first match was a risk. But that’s the work of the captain. I’m sure he made the decision thinking what’s the best for the team, not for myself.’
Nadal insisted he was selected on merit rather than sentiment, but struggled during the clash
The 38-year-old claimed it was not a satisfying end but also said that he had no complaints
‘Probably today the decision to put me on the court didn’t work,’ he admitted. ‘If I would be the captain, probably I will not pick myself the next day if we go through, that’s my feeling.’
In a quirk of fate, the doubles was destined to end a Grand Slam winning career either way. Dutch doubles specialist Wesley Koolhof will retire after the Davis Cup and he was utterly inspired in combining with Van de Zandschulp to beat Alcaraz and Marcel Granollers.
Koolhof’s tale goes on but one of the greatest stories tennis has ever told had its ending last night.
