Rafael Nadal has officially retired from tennis, with the 22-time Grand Slam champion calling it a day at the Davis Cup.
Spain failed to make it beyond the quarter-finals in Malaga, with Nadal losing his only Davis Cup match against the Netherlands.
He was, however, unsurprisingly given a send-off by the organisers, with Davis Cup tournament director Feliciano Lopez defending Nadal’s farewell ceremony after it received criticism.
The 38-year-old has gone down as one of the greatest to have ever played the game, having secured 92 ATP Tour-level titles throughout his career.
Nadal was a star player across all surfaces, but he became particularly synonymous with clay thanks to his French Open dominance.
Andrea Petkovic makes ‘anxious’ Rafael Nadal claim after he retires
He boasts a record 14 Roland Garros titles, with his fellow former professional Andrea Petkovic now praising the Spaniard after his retirement.
“He is the best athlete in the history of sport who is always anxious,” Petkovic said on The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast. “He is always afraid. I saw him in the fourth year of winning Roland Garros. He had lost there once or twice, right. And he was up against a lucky loser in the first round. I ran into him, I was going out of the gym, and he was warming up. I was like this guy is panicked, he is terrified, and he’s playing a lucky loser!
“I think what made him addicted is that he is anxious to lose and then when he wins it’s almost a bigger emotional reward than the triumph. It gave him relief. That’s why I think he was more addicted than others because it was like I am going to lose, I am going to lose, I am going to lose, oh my God I’m winning.”
Andrea Petkovic says Iga Swiatek is the same as Rafael Nadal
Petkovic continued by suggesting that WTA Tour star Iga Swiatek is no different to Nadal, saying: “Iga is the same. She is psychologically the same person as Rafa. That’s why she is so hard to beat because she has this every-point mentality. She identifies with him.
“She doesn’t know why, she thinks it’s because he’s great, but it’s because they are scared every time they go on court. I don’t recommend it as a way of being but I think it’s what makes them great.”
Swiatek enjoyed a superb WTA season, with the Pole winning a third consecutive French Open title and fourth overall.
| Year | Competition | Surface | Opponent | Score |
| 2020 | French Open | Clay | Sofia Kenin | 6–4, 6–1 |
| 2022 | French Open (2) | Clay | Coco Gauff | 6–1, 6–3 |
| 2022 | US Open | Hard | Ons Jabeur | 6–2, 7–6(7-5) |
| 2023 | French Open (3) | Clay | Karolina Muchova | 6–2, 5–7, 6–4 |
| 2024 | French Open (4) | Clay | Jasmine Paolini | 6–2, 6–1 |
That was, however, her only Grand Slam success of 2024, with Swiatek tailing off as the season went on as she lost her number one spot to Aryna Sabalenka.
But she did still clinch five titles, the most of any player, and became the first player from Poland to win an Olympic medal in tennis thanks to her bronze success in Paris.
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