Rafael Nadal fails to hold back tears as icon beaten on tennis farewell

22-time Grand Slam Champion Rafael Nadal is acceptable to discontinue aft the Davis Cup and the 38-year-old suffered a nonaccomplishment against Botic van de Zandschulp successful what could beryllium his last match

Rafael Nadal struggled to clasp backmost tears arsenic helium was beaten successful Spain's opening quarter-final lucifer astatine the Davis Cup successful Malaga.

Nadal announced past period that helium volition beryllium retiring from tennis aft the Davis Cup finals, with the Spaniard admitting the past 2 years of his vocation had been peculiarly "difficult" owed to wounded problems.

The 38-year-old was hoping to prime up 1 past triumph connected location soil, but helium suffered a 6-4, 6-4 decision to the Netherlands' Botic van de Zandschulp. The nonaccomplishment was lone Nadal's 2nd singles nonaccomplishment successful Davis Cup history, with the archetypal coming connected his debut 20 years agone against the Czech Republic's Jiri Novak.

Reflecting connected the result, an affectional Nadal said: "I went connected tribunal and I came present with the extremity to assistance the squad the mode that I could help. Today I was selected to beryllium connected the court, truthful I tried to assistance the squad to enactment a triumph retired there, but was not possible.

"And that's it. In this infinitesimal of my career, I can't kick much. I spell there, I tried my best, I effort to bask and play with the close energy, with the close attitude. Just didn't work. And determination was a anticipation that that would happen.

"Of people it has been an affectional day, nerves earlier what tin beryllium my past singles lucifer arsenic a professional. That's the mode that I felt. And then, yeah, of people the emotions, feeling the National Anthem for the past clip arsenic a nonrecreational person been precise special.

"And past of people a small spot of mixed feelings makes things a small spot much difficult. I tried to bash my best. I tried to, astatine the aforesaid time, to enactment arsenic affirmative arsenic imaginable successful each azygous moment, to play with the close energy. It was not enough. Congrats to Botic. That's all."

Nadal's teammate Carlos Alcaraz paid tribute to the 22-time Grand Slam champion up of the event, claiming his "farewell" was much important than the Davis Cup itself. He said: "Rafa's farewell is much important than the Davis Cup.

"There are Davis Cups each year, but determination is lone 1 'farewell' to a tennis legend. Doing it successful a tourney truthful peculiar for him, which has meant truthful overmuch to him since that triumph successful 2004 against Andy Roddick. It volition beryllium precise peculiar and I anticipation helium tin discontinue with the title.

"This Davis Cup is astir apt the astir peculiar tourney of my career. My passionateness for representing Spain is 1 of the top things successful the world. Having Rafa astatine my side, knowing that it is his past tournament, makes it overmuch much special."

Spain failed to retrieve from losing the archetypal rubber. Carlos Alcaraz bushed Dutch No.1 Tallon Griekspoor, but helium and Marcel Granollers mislaid the deciding doubles clash to Van de Zandschulp and Wesley Koolhof.

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