As Rafael Nadal was about to serve in what would be his final tennis match, a woman’s voice broke the silence from the stands: “You make Spain proud!”
Soon after, Nadal was wiping tears from his eyes and waving goodbye to his fans.
His farewell from tennis was emotional, as expected, and took place in Malaga on Tuesday, too soon for many to accept. Nadal had planned his farewell to be on home soil, but Spain was eliminated from the Davis Cup quarterfinals, and he wasn’t able to finish his career with a win.
It was a heartbreaking moment for his fans in Spain, seeing one of the country’s best athletes — perhaps its greatest ever — retire.
“It’s clear that Rafa is the best athlete ever in Spain. He is on a different level than everyone else, by far,” said Feliciano López, a former tennis player and current Davis Cup Finals tournament director.
“No disrespect to other Spanish athletes, and we have many great ones, but no one has inspired fans the way Rafa did.”
López, who played alongside Nadal in the Davis Cup, compared him to famous athletes like Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, and Muhammad Ali, who have transcended their sports.
“There are very few athletes who have been able to inspire people in a way that goes beyond sports,” López said. “Rafa is one of them. People will remember him around the world even 40 or 50 years from now.”
Due to a series of injuries in recent years, the 38-year-old Nadal retired after more than 20 years on tour and 22 Grand Slam titles, two more than Roger Federer and second only to Novak Djokovic’s 24 titles. Djokovic is the only one of the Big Three still active in tennis.
The front pages of Spain’s newspapers all focused on Nadal after his final match — a 6-4, 6-4 loss to No. 80 Botic van de Zandschulp of the Netherlands.
“It was an honor,” said the sports daily AS.
“Thank you, Rafa,” wrote Marca.
“Eternal,” read the headline in Mundo Deportivo.
Few other Spanish athletes come close to Nadal’s fame and accomplishments.
Other famous Spanish athletes include five-time major golf champion Seve Ballesteros, five-time Tour de France winner Miguel Induráin, two-time NBA champion Pau Gasol, two-time Formula 1 champion Fernando Alonso, six-time MotoGP champion Marc Márquez, and four-time Dakar Rally winner Carlos Sainz.
Spain has also produced many successful soccer players, such as World Cup winners Iker Casillas and Andrés Iniesta, but none have reached the level of global status like Nadal, or like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
Nadal is also a two-time Olympic champion and was Spain’s flag-bearer at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games.
He is loved in Spain not just for his victories but also for his passion, dedication, and his example as a humble person both on and off the court.
“Nadal makes us Spaniards proud. He represents the values of passion, camaraderie, solidarity. He will always be the image of sport in Spain,” said Clara García, a 35-year-old fan who attended Nadal’s farewell match. “It’s hard knowing that he won’t be representing Spain on the court anymore.”
Federer praised Nadal in an open letter, saying, “You made Spain proud, you made the whole tennis world proud. You’ve always been a role model for kids around the world.”
In his farewell speech, Nadal said, “I always tried to improve and reach my goals with respect and humility. I have valued everything that has happened to me.”
Fellow tennis stars Djokovic and Serena Williams, along with former soccer star David Beckham, also praised Nadal.
“Thank you for so many incredible moments and for everything you’ve done to inspire young people,” Beckham said.
“I’ll miss you so much,” said Williams.
Carlos Alcaraz, regarded as Nadal’s successor in Spanish tennis — already with four Grand Slam titles at 21 — admitted that it will be hard to deal with the pressure of following his idol.
“I don’t want to think I have to continue his legacy. I don’t want it to be frustrating if I don’t reach his level,” Alcaraz said. “If I achieve half of what he did, I’ll be happy. His legacy will be eternal.”
It’s unclear what Nadal’s future holds. He’s an avid golfer and has often been linked to Real Madrid, where he has said he might like to be president one day.
“My life will change completely,” Nadal said after returning to Mallorca on Wednesday. “I have to accept this change and know that my life will be different now than it has been for the last 30 years. I’m excited about it, there’s no doubt.”
One thing is certain: Nadal will always be connected to tennis.
“I’m retiring from the sport, but I’ll continue to be available for anything needed and to be a good ambassador, which I’ve always tried to be.”
