2024 will also be remembered as the year of Rafael Nadal’s retirement from professional tennis. The 22-time Grand Slam champion did not achieve brilliant results in his last dance and – after the Paris Olympics – he thought the right time had come to start another chapter of his life.
The former world No. 1 has chosen the Davis Cup Finals as the last official event of his iconic career, hoping to help Spain get as far as possible in Malaga. Spain’s run was a total disappointment, as they were eliminated already in the quarter-finals by Netherlands.
That shocking loss – also caused by some wrong choices by Spanish captain David Ferrer – made Rafa’s farewell ceremony much sadder than expected. Many VIPs and sports champions were absent and the organizers of the event found themselves very unprepared by making several mistakes.
Rafael Nadal© Atp Tour
Despite the sad farewell, the last few months do not affect the legacy of one of the best athletes of the modern era in the slightest. The Spanish legend made the history of this sport, taught other athletes what it means to never give up and was the author of some of the greatest feats in the history of modern sport.
His triumphs at the Australian Open and Roland Garros in 2022 will forever remain etched in the memory of fans, when Nadal’s career already seemed close to its conclusion. Injuries have heavily affected him in the last two years and his appearances on the pitch have become increasingly sporadic.
Two legendary rivalries
There is no doubt that Rafa’s career has also been so special thanks to his iconic rivalries with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. Although he has faced the Serbian the most times, the Spaniard has crowned the former Swiss champion as the biggest rival of his career.
Roger Federer & Rafael Nadal, Laver Cup 2022© Stream screenshot
On the latest edition of the ‘Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast’, former WTA star Andrea Petkovic revealed a confession that Toni Nadal made to her some time ago: “I loved the match-up between Novak and Rafa, because Rafa respected Novak and knows he is the greatest player he has ever played.
It is interesting because I talked to Toni Nadal and he said Novak is the greatest player Nadal faced and he said the reason for that is Novak sees the ball like nobody else. He is the only one who attacked Rafa’s forehand.
He gave an example. He said the first few times Novak tried to take Rafa’s forehand on the rise with his backhand and mistimed it a few times and was late on it. Then in the third match he had perfect timing every time. He said he had the best eyes in tennis.”
Nadal and Federer last faced each other in the semifinals of the 2019 Wimbledon Championships, but the Spaniard was the King’s partner in the last match of his career at the 2022 Laver Cup at the O2 Arena in London.
The last official clash with Nole was in the second round of the Olympic tournament in Paris, although the two legends also faced each other at the ‘Six Kings Slam’ in Saudi Arabia in October.
Rafa deserved a better farewell
The 22-time Grand Slam champion deserved a better farewell to professional tennis. Rafa has worked hard to be competitive in 2024, but he has only played 20 matches and has not won any titles (reaching only one final in Bastad).
The former world No. 1 considered continuing to play next year, until he realized it wouldn’t make any sense. The body has sent him very clear signals over the last couple of years and the Spaniard understood that he could no longer compete to win the most prestigious titles.
Rafael Nadal© Instagram Rafael Nadal
The French Open and the Paris Olympics were his two main goals in 2024, but both failed for different reasons. Nadal had hoped to win one last medal at the Olympics, but he failed to do so even in doubles alongside his young compatriot Carlos Alcaraz. It’s really a shame that his last singles match was the bad loss to Botic van de Zandschulp at the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga.
During an interview with ‘Championat’, WTA star Veronika Kudermetova opened up on Rafa’s farewell ceremony: “I read the news about how the farewell ceremony went. It’s sad, of course, that such legends leave the sport. Nadal was an example for us all, not only in sports, in tennis, but also as a person with a capital P. It’s sad that we and the new generation of tennis players will no longer be able to see him play on the court. It’s sad when such worthy people leave the sport!”
Tennis World USA