Martina Navratilova is one of many tennis legends who paid tribute to Rafael Nadal following his retirement from tennis.
In October the 38-year-old decided he would call time of his glittering career at the Davis Cup finals in Malaga.
He was selected in the squad to represent Spain and try to win the prestigious tournament for the fifth and final time.
But the Netherlands had other ideas as they produced some of their best tennis to defeat Spain 2-1 and progress to the semi-finals, and end Nadal’s career in the process.
Martina Navratilova sends message to Rafael Nadal after his retirement
Rafael Nadal was visibly emotional throughout the post-match presentation, especially when he watched the tribute video.
It included messages from the likes of his biggest rivals Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, as well as 23-time Grand Slam winner Serena Williams.
He received plenty more tributes online, including from Martina Navratilova, who wrote on X: “When they made Rafa, they threw away the mold. Chapeau in every direction, champ!”
Furthermore, Billie Jean King, who was in Malaga for the Billie Jean King Cup finals, and caught up with Nadal earlier in the week, issued her own tribute.
“22 Grand Slam titles. 36 ATP Masters 1000 titles. 2 Olympic Gold Medals. 1 magnificent, inimitable career. Congratulations, @RafaelNadal. Looking forward to following the next steps in your journey.”
Did Rafael Nadal win his last ever singles match?
As always, Nadal’s competitive spirit was on display and he fought until the very end, but it was not enough as Nadal lost the final match of his pro tennis career to Botic Van de Zandschulp.
The tennis icon’s lack of match play showed as the former World number one struggled with his movement at times, especially from side to side.
Van de Zandschulp broke in the ninth game of the first set before taking the lead, and he opened up a 4-1 lead in the second set. But Nadal showed his trademark qualities and claimed one of the breaks back and reduced the deficit to 4-3.
But he was also unable to break serve again for the rest of the match and Van de Zandschulp claimed a 6-4, 6-4 win. This is Nadal’s first singles loss in the Davis Cup since he made his debut in 2004.
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