Tennis legend Rafael Nadal played the final match of his professional career on Tuesday, losing 6-4, 6-4 to Botic van de Zanzschulp in the Davis Cup quarterfinals.
Nadal, 38, announced last month that he would retire after the tournament.
His career ended as one of the most decorated players in tennis. Nadal, who has been competing professionally since his late teens, has won 92 singles titles (fifth all-time), 22 majors (second all-time) and two Olympic gold medals.
Nadal is best known for his dominance on clay, winning the French Open a record 14 times. He won his first championship in 2005 and began a dominating run, winning nine out of 10 French Open finals. After struggling with injuries, he won four straight from 2017 to 2020 and won his last French Open and major in 2022.
For much of his career, Nadal, a left-handed player, was a natural complement to Roger Federer, who had won seven major titles before Nadal won his first at Roland Garros. (Federer ranks third behind Nadal with 20 Grand Slam titles.) The two giants met 40 times between 2004 and 2019, 24 of which were in tournament finals. Nadal led the rivalry with a 24-16 record, including 6-0 at Roland Garros.
“Let’s start with the obvious: You beat me a lot, more than I could ever beat you,” he said of his friendship with Nadal, despite their professional rivalry. Federer wrote in a statement on social media. “You challenged me in a way that no one else could. On clay, it felt like I was walking into your backyard, and you challenged me in ways that no one else could. You made me work harder than I expected. You made me rethink my game and even change the size of my racquet head in hopes of gaining some edge.”
He added: “Rafa, I know you’re focused on the last part of your epic career. Let’s talk when it’s over. Your old friends are always rooting for you and you’ll be next in line.” I want you to know that no matter what you do, I will cheer you on just as loudly.”
Nadal, Federer and Novak Djokovic (leader of 24 Grand Slam titles) have dominated professional tennis for much of the past two decades. Nadal faced Djokovic 60 times and held a 5-4 edge in major finals. Djokovic leads the entire rivalry with a record of 31 wins and 29 losses.
Known for his athletic playing style, Nadal was plagued by injuries in the latter half of his career. He had been suffering from wrist, knee, hip, abdominal and leg injuries since 2012. His last season with multiple Grand Slam titles was in 2022, when he won the French Open and the Australian Open.
However, after undergoing hip surgery in June 2023, he failed to qualify for three of the next four Grand Slams and was eliminated in the first round at the last French Open.
“The title, the numbers, they’re there. Maybe people know that,” Nadal said on court after the final match. “What I would like to be remembered more for is as a good person from a small village in Mallorca.”
