MALAGA, Spain — Rafael Nadal bit his lower lip and his reddened eyes welled with tears as he stood alongside his Davis Cup teammates for Spain’s national anthem Tuesday before what he - and everyone - knew might be the last match of his career, and turned out to be a 6-4, 6-4 loss to Botic van de Zandschulp of the Netherlands.
Nadal said beforehand that his feelings would need to be put on hold, that this week was about attempting to claim one last title for his country, not about pondering his impending retirement. But the 22-time Grand Slam champion acknowledged afterward that the moment got to him, that “the emotions were difficult to manage,” and that he felt nerves out there amid the roars of an adoring, sign- and flag-toting crowd that mostly showed up for one player and one player only.
And even if Spain got past the Netherlands in the best-of-three-match quarterfinals, Nadal said that if he were the team’s captain, he wouldn’t pick himself to play again in the semifinals after that performance against the 80th-ranked van de Zandschulp.
“Probably the easy move,” Nadal said with a smile, “and maybe the right move, is to change.”
At least he was in a joking mood after the result ended his 29-match winning streak in Davis Cup singles. The only other blemish on his record, which stood at 29-1 entering Tuesday, came in his debut all the way back in 2004.
“I lost my first match in the Davis Cup, and I lost my last one,” said Nadal, whose wife and son were in the stands Tuesday. “So we close the circle.”
PHOTOS: Rafael Nadal calls it an emotional day as he loses in the Davis Cup before retirement
The 38-year-old Spaniard announced last month this event would be it for him as a professional tennis player after two years of injuries that allowed him to compete only sparingly.
Nadal’s defeat opened the Spain vs. Netherlands matchup on an indoor hard court at the sold-out Palacio de Deportes Jose Maria Martin Carpena in southern Spain. It was followed by No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz’s 7-6 (0), 6-3 victory for the hosts against No. 40 Tallon Griekspoor while Nadal cheered from courtside - and, because the teams were tied 1-all after singles, the outcome of the quarterfinal was going to be decided by a doubles match.
Alcaraz and Marcel Granollers were to meet Van de Zandschulp and Wesley Koolhof to finish the day. So it was up to Nadal’s countrymen to try to extend his career. If the Netherlands were to win, he would be finished.
“It’s amazing that it might be the last match that Nadal plays,” Dutch captain Paul Haarhuis said beforehand, “and we hope to give him a nice ‘Adios.’”
When the match ended - with Nadal ranging to his left but not quite able to get into proper position and putting a forehand into the net - he walked to the net for a quick hug with his opponent.
“That was a tough, tough match to play,” said van de Zandschulp, noting that he idolized Nadal while growing up.
In certain ways, and for brief interludes, this was, unmistakably, the Nadal that van de Zandschulp - and so many others - can remember. The white headband, marked with the red bull logo Nadal made famous. The white tape wrapped around all four of his left, racket-holding fingers. The water bottles by his sideline bench, placed just so.
There was the occasional ace right on a line. The occasional serve-and-volley foray forward. The occasional over-the-shoulder putaway. And, yes, the occasional hop and uppercut and scream of “Vamos!” after claiming a key point or closing out a game.
There also were, neither to Nadal’s or most of the 9,200 spectators’ liking, several points where he did look like what he truly is right now: a once-dominant figure diminished by age and health issues. His forehand didn’t always have the same verve: His 10 groundstroke winners were barely half of van de Zandschulp’s 19. His footwork and speed were hardly ideal and partly responsible for his 26 unforced errors.
Nadal was just not able to bring his best, no matter how many chants of “Ra-fa!” or “España!” or “Si, se puede!” (“Yes, you can!”) broke out, no matter how many signs or scarves reading “Gracias, Rafa!” or red-and-yellow Spanish flags of all sizes dotted the arena.
“I mean, (at this) moment of my career, I can’t complain much. I go (out) there, I try my best, I try to enjoy and play with the right energy, with the right attitude,” Nadal said. “Just didn’t work.”
This version of Nadal had hip issues, including surgery in June 2023, and abdominal problems that combined to limit him to only 23 matches over the past two years. He is 12-8 in singles in 2024.
The match against van de Zandschulp - who upset Alcaraz at the U.S. Open - was Nadal’s first outing that counted since early August at the Paris Olympics. He lost there in the second round of singles to Novak Djokovic and bowed out in the doubles quarterfinals alongside Alcaraz.
Nadal and Alcaraz - at 21, a four-time major champion considered his heir apparent - practiced with each other hours before the start of play. The run-up to this Davis Cup has largely been about memories of, and tributes to, Nadal - including a lengthy post on social media by his rival and friend Roger Federer.
Nadal will forever be remembered for his rivalries with Federer and Djokovic as part of the Big Three of men’s tennis, a trio of generational talents who ruled the sport for much of the past two decades.
Federer, now 43, announced his departure in 2022; only Djokovic, 37, remains active.
All three were talented. All three were successful. All three were popular.
Nadal’s appeal to fans was both how he played on a court and the humility he displayed away from one, which might explain why there even were fans wearing the orange representing Netherlands who applauded when he was introduced.
“When we heard the news that Rafa was retiring, this really became something special - a chance to see the greatest sportsman in the country’s history,” said Luis Julve, a 19-year-old college student who made the trip from Madrid with his mother and aunt.
They and other locals expressed their love over and over, from the raucous standing ovation that greeted Nadal’s entrance to the court to the repeat after the match’s conclusion. In an example of the sort of home-court advantage frequently seen at this team event - more soccer rowdiness than stereotypical tennis genteelness - they jeered and whistled whenever the contingent of Dutch fans in a small section of the lower bowl tried to offer encouragement to their guy.
Nadal could not come through this time.
“I went on court, and came here, with the goal to help the team. … It just didn’t work, and there was a possibility that would happen,” he said. “He played better than me today. There’s nothing more to say.”
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