Rafael Nadal breaks down in tears during Spanish anthem at Davis Cup Finals

Rafael Nadal was pictured breaking down successful tears during the Spanish nationalist anthem astatine the Davis Cup Finals connected Tuesday.

The ‘King of Clay’ could not fell his emotions up of his clash against Botic van de Zandschulp successful what could beryllium his past ever tennis lucifer if Spain neglect to advancement past the Netherlands successful the best-of-three series.

Nadal, 38, volition officially participate status erstwhile the Davis Cup has concluded, bringing an extremity to a singular vocation successful which helium won an unthinkable tally of 22 Grand Slam singles titles, including a grounds 14 astatine the French Open.

His full household was seen watching from the assemblage successful Malaga portion each azygous subordinate of Team Spain looked heartbroken connected the sidelines erstwhile Nadal started sobbing during his country’s anthem.

Nadal confirmed quality of his status past month and said successful a video message: ‘I americium present to fto you cognize I americium retiring from nonrecreational tennis.

‘The world is that it has been immoderate hard years, the past 2 especially. I don’t deliberation I person been capable to play without limitations.’

As good arsenic his heroics astatine the Grand Slams, Nadal volition beryllium fondly remembered for his iconic rivalry with chap legend Roger Federer.

Federer, who retired successful 2022, wrote an affectional emotion letter to Nadal connected Tuesday and said: ‘Let’s commencement with the obvious: you bushed maine – a lot. More than I managed to bushed you. You challenged maine successful ways nary 1 other could. On clay, it felt similar I was stepping into your backyard, and you made maine enactment harder than I ever thought I could conscionable to clasp my ground.

‘You made maine reimagine my crippled – adjacent going truthful acold arsenic to alteration the size of my racquet head, hoping for immoderate edge. I’m not a precise superstitious person, but you took it to the adjacent level. Your full process. All those rituals. Assembling your h2o bottles similar artifact soldiers successful formation, fixing your hair, adjusting your underwear… All of it with the highest intensity.

‘Secretly, I benignant of loved the full thing. Because it was truthful unsocial – it was truthful you. And you cognize what, Rafa, you made maine bask the crippled adjacent more. OK, possibly not astatine first. After the 2004 Australian Open, I achieved the #1 ranking for the archetypal time.

‘I thought I was connected apical of the world. And I was – until 2 months later, erstwhile you walked connected the tribunal successful Miami successful your reddish sleeveless shirt, showing disconnected those biceps, and you bushed maine convincingly.

‘All that buzz I’d been proceeding astir you – astir this astonishing young subordinate from Mallorca, a generational talent, astir apt going to triumph a large someday – it wasn’t conscionable hype.

‘We were some astatine the commencement of our travel and it’s 1 we ended up taking together. Twenty years later, Rafa, I person to say: What an unthinkable tally you’ve had.’

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