He also spent his entire career battling his own body, with Nadal’s injuries both acute and chronic carving the trajectory of his career and to an extent the way he played tennis. King of clay. Warrior.

It was an emotional farewell from tennis for Nadal this week after Spain was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Davis Cup in Malaga.

In the years that followed, Nadal worked to improve his all-court game and his serve, and his results away from clay improved. He missed the Australian Open in 2006 but won his second Roland Garros title before reaching that year’s Wimbledon final and U.S. Open quarters. Roger Federer schooled him on Centre Court, winning the first set 6-0.

Tennis legend Rafael Nadal played the final match of his professional career Tuesday, losing 6-4, 6-4 to Botic van de Zandschulp in the quarterfinals of the Davis Cup. Nadal, 38, announced last month that he would retire after the tournament.

Nadal endured repeated injuries over his two decades, some substantial with long delays, but he always found his way back to familiar, brilliant

Rafael Nadal, one of the greatest men's tennis players in history, closed out his legendary career playing for Spain in the Davis Cup.

Rafael Nadal was just 18 — and yet to win a Grand Slam title — when he first moved into the top 10 of the ATP rankings on April 25, 2005. He remained there for 912 consecutive weeks, until March 19, 2023,

Rafael Nadal wanted to play his last match before retiring at home in Spain and as part of Spain's Davis Cup team

The final match of Rafael Nadal’s legendary career left nary a dry eye in the house — including the tennis star himself. Nadal, 38, was visibly emotional while the Spanish national anthem played before his Davis Cup match against the Netherlands’ Botic van de Zandschulp on Tuesday 19.