Rafael Nadal was quick to deliver his reaction after Italy beat Spain in the final of the Davis Cup to clinch a third-straight title.
It marked the continuation of an outstanding feat of dominance from a nation rocked by the withdrawal of their biggest star just last month.
Jannik Sinner’s decision to snub the Davis Cup has been massively vindicated now though, with Matteo Berrettini and Flavio Cobolli spearheading their success in his absence.
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They did not lose a single match in the final, sweeping through Austria and Belgium before dealing the killer blow to the Spaniards, who were also without Carlos Alcaraz.
Rafael Nadal, taking to social media, issued a message to both teams as he reacted to the result.
Rafael Nadal reacts as Italy wins another Davis Cup
He began his message, naturally, by congratulating his compatriots for a fine run.
Despite losing in the final, they performed admirably throughout the week, and the legendary Spaniard acknowledged this by writing: “Congratulations to the whole team! What an impressive week at the @DavisCup”.
He then turned his attention to the champions, who were good value for their historic triumph.
Nadal simply added: “Congratulations [Italy emoji] on the third consecutive Davis [Trophy emoji]”.
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Nadal’s last-ever match came at the Davis Cup, with the 38-year-old boasting a rich and impressive history at the event.
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Nadal started his legacy at this tournament in 2004, where he won the event. This set a precedent for his success over the years, as he would retire with five titles.
He appeared in four of the five finals and boasted a 100% win record when making it to that stage.
Not only that, but the 22-time Grand Slam champion also boasted an outstanding 29-2 singles record, with those two losses coming 20 years apart.
It was fitting that his retirement therefore came at an event where he was such a dominant force.
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