Rafael Nadal’s More than Two-Decade-Long Tennis Career Came to an End on Tuesday (Nov 19) After Spain’s Davis Cup Exit Against the Netherlands

Rafael Nadal’s more than two-decade-long Tennis career came to an end on Tuesday (Nov 19) after Spain’s Davis Cup exit against the Netherlands.

With 22 Grand Slam and four Davis Cup titles, the King of Clay officially hanged his racket having announced his intention to retire earlier.

After the defeat, Spain’s current top star Carlos Alcaraz opened up on the grand exit, highlighting he will miss the passion of Nadal on the court.

"I will remember the passion with which Rafa lives for this sport, the passion with which he has experienced every second of this tournament. It's incredible," Alcaraz said.

"I have been fortunate to have him close, train with him, share the locker room in important tournaments, but not as much as I would have liked.

I wish I had reached the circuit earlier.

I have unforgettable moments with my idol, someone I have admired since I was young thanks to him, I wanted to become a professional," he added.

Nadal’s exit was confirmed after Botic van de Zandschulp and Wesley Koolhof secured a 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/3) win in doubles with 14-time French Open champion losing 6-4, 6-4 in straight sets earlier in the day.

Nadal’s defeat to Van de Zandschulp put Spain on the back foot as they trailed after the opening contest.

This was followed by Carlos Alcaraz’s 7-6 (7/0), 6-3 victory over Tallon Griekspoor in the other singles match taking the tie to deciding men’s doubles where the Dutch came out on top. 

Nadal’s legacy lives on
A 22-time Grand Slam champion, the Spaniard was nicknamed King of Clay for his outright dominance at the French Open.

The 38-year-old won an astonishing 14 titles in the French capital and only lost four matches.

He has won the Australian Open and Wimbledon twice, highlighting his dominance on all surfaces.

He won four US Open singles titles while also winning the 2008 Beijing Olympics gold medal to complete a gold slam.

Nadal is also a four-time Davis Cup winner with Spain, having won his last honour in 2019.

His last Grand Slam title win at the 2022 Australian Open also saw him become the most successful men’s singles tennis player, only to be overtaken by Novak Djokovic, now residing with 24 Grand Slam titles.