MALAGA, Spain — Not surprisingly, Rafael Nadal couldn’t take a step around the grounds of the Davis Cup Final 8 in recent days without hearing requests for a handshake or a selfie. And that was just from the other professional tennis players, to speak nothing of the fans.
The significance of Nadal’s retirement is lost on no one inside or outside the sport he is walking away from at age 38 after a litany of injuries, and for all of the well-documented success he enjoyed, his greatest legacy might be the way he inspired other players. The 22-time Grand Slam champion and all-time great of the game lost the last match of his career as Spain was eliminated by the Netherlands in the quarterfinals as Tuesday turned to Wednesday.
The last man to face — and beat — Nadal, 80th-ranked Botic van de Zandschulp, who is 29, spoke after his 6-4, 6-4 victory about idolizing the Spaniard. Many current players grew up watching Nadal, admiring him for his skill — from the big, topspin left-handed forehands to the pinpoint volleys and everything in between — and his relentless nature, his commitment to seeking improvement and, maybe most of all, his off-court humility.
He set an example for others, from contemporaries Roger Federer or Novak Djokovic or Serena Williams, to members of the following generations, including heir apparent Carlos Alcaraz.
“I was a big Rafa fan. Used to wear all his kits, his shoes, everything. A lot of neon colors,” said Ben Shelton, a 22-year-old member of the U.S. team that faces Australia on Thursday, when the other quarterfinal is defending champion Italy and No. 1-ranked Jannik Sinner against Argentina. “And being a lefty, he’s a guy that I have always kind of watched and tried to learn things from. One of those perfect examples of how to do things on and off the court, how to handle the press, how to win with class, how to lose with class.”
That sentiment was echoed by player after player, many of whom were thrilled to be on-site for his farewell.
PHOTOS: Rafael Nadal's legacy is a relentlessness that inspired Carlos Alcaraz and plenty of others
“For him to have this as his finishing point, it’s an honor for the event,” said Yannick Hanfmann, part of the German squad that faced Canada on Wednesday. “He’s present everywhere. In the training area, when he’s walking around, you see the people looking and trying to get some pictures, here and there. He’s got this aura that already was big, but now that this is the end, it’s maybe more important.”
Hanfmann and others were struck by Nadal’s dedication to chasing every shot down. By a refusal to accept defeat, no matter the deficit. By his longevity and consistency - nearly 18 full years in a row ranked in the top 10; 10 consecutive years with at least one major title - and his dizzying peaks, including the 14 French Open championships that earned him the “King of Clay” nickname.
His unfailing politeness, seen in such gestures as when he would say goodbye to every volunteer on his way out of a tournament or, just this Monday, when he arrived at Spain’s team news conference and made a beeline for the stenographer to shake the hand of the person who would be typing up the transcript of the Q-and-A session for reporters.
“ The titles, the numbers, are there, so people probably know that, but the way I would like to be remembered is as a good person from a small village in Mallorca,” Nadal said during a tear-filled post-match ceremony at the sold-out Palacio de Deportes Jose Maria Martin Carpena, where thousands serenaded him with a chorus of “Raaaa-faaa! Raaaa-faaa!”
“Just a kid that followed their dreams,” he said, “ (and) worked as hard as possible.”
No opponent, or any observer for that matter, could ever question his effort, even as injury after injury made things tougher, especially over the past two seasons.
No one ever doubted his drive to get better.
“I really will miss watching him on court,” said Iga Swiatek, a five-time Grand Slam champion and long an unabashed fan of Nadal’s. “Honestly, he was the only player I watched, so I don’t know if I’m going to watch tennis at all now. He’s a huge inspiration.”
That last word, or a variation of it, was used over and over again as tributes to Nadal were offered.
So were “intensity” and “passion,” “grit” and “role model.”
“For me,” said Alcaraz, a 21-year-old Spaniard with four major trophies, “it’s difficult to accept that Rafael Nadal is going to retire, honestly.”
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