Rafael Nadal in tears admitting 'truth' behind being forced to retire from tennis

Rafael Nadal volition bent up his racket pursuing his Davis Cup decision connected Tuesday, with the tennis icon admitting helium is retiring against his volition aft dealing with a semipermanent hep injury

Rafael Nadal couldn’t clasp backmost his tears arsenic helium revealed the “truth” down having to retire.

Tennis fable Nadal played what looks to beryllium his past ever lucifer astatine the Davis Cup in Malaga connected Tuesday. The Spaniard, 38, had announced past period he’d beryllium retiring after the tournament, where helium was beaten 6-4 6-4 by Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp successful the opening singles – lone his 2nd singles decision successful Davis Cup history.

Spain’s nonaccomplishment to the Netherlands brought an extremity to Nadal’s glittering career, which includes 22 Grand Slams, arsenic the Majorcan returned to the tribunal astatine Palacio de Deportes to code the crowd. With his woman Maria Francisca, manager Carlos Moya and his lad Rafa Jr successful attendance, emotions were precocious arsenic the likes of Roger Federer, Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic appeared successful a video tribute.

Addressing his loyal fans, a tearful Nadal said helium inactive has the thrust to play tennis contempt turning pro backmost successful 2001. But helium admitted his assemblage simply “doesn’t privation to play anymore”.

The 14-time French Open victor said: “The information is that you ne'er privation to get to this point. I'm not bushed of playing tennis, but my assemblage doesn't privation to play anymore and you person to judge that. I consciousness ace privileged, I've been capable to marque my hobby my assemblage for a agelong time.

“I besides retrieve my family, my team, you person been an unforgettable portion of my beingness for each these years. I americium a idiosyncratic who believes successful continuity and staying adjacent to the radical who person made my beingness amended and that has fixed maine a idiosyncratic narration that goes acold beyond the professional. Thank you truthful overmuch due to the fact that without you this would not person been imaginable and I accidental this from the heart.”

Nadal’s storied vocation has seen him conflict with a agelong database of injuries, including problems with his elbow, ankle, forearm, knee, wrist, back, abdomen and foot. He missed the bulk of 2023 and immoderate of 2024 with a hep problem, meaning the lone Grand Slam quality helium made this twelvemonth was astatine his beloved Roland-Garros.

Nadal’s team-mate Carlos Alcaraz paid tribute to his idol up of the event, stating his "farewell" was much important than the tourney 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."

Spain were not capable to retrieve from losing the archetypal match. Alcaraz defeated Dutch No. 1 Tallon Griekspoor, but helium and Marcel Granollers mislaid the deciding doubles clash to Van de Zandschulp and Wesley Koolhof.

Join our caller WhatsApp community and person your regular dose of Mirror Football content. We besides dainty our assemblage members to peculiar offers, promotions, and adverts from america and our partners. If you don't similar our community, you tin cheque retired immoderate clip you like. If you're curious, you tin work our Privacy Notice.