Rafael Nadal beaten at Davis Cup finals in potential farewell from tennis

11/19/2024 02:12 PM

• Nadal beaten by Botic van de Zandschulp in Málaga
• Legend's career will be over if Spain fail to win tie

As the Spanish national anthem rang out for possibly the final time in his career, Rafael Nadal could not stop his emotions from flowing. Tears welled up in his eyes and his hands visibly shook by his side. Finally, the last stage of this epic 30-year journey had begun, a moment that he never wanted to arrive but had no choice but to face. Nadal's audience responded to his outpouring of emotions, clear to see on the big screen, with thunderous chants of "Rafa! Rafa!"

Not even those deafening, constant roars from the crowd could help to push Nadal beyond the limits of his bruised and broken body. Despite fighting for every last point with the diligence and desperation that has defined his entire career, Nadal was comprehensively defeated 6-4, 6-4 by Botic van de Zandschulp in the opening Davis Cup rubber between Spain and the Netherlands.