Tears flow
\nNadal admits his farewell did not take place the way he had hoped it to as Spain crashed out of Davis Cup
\n malaga
\nRafael Nadal got emotional while receiving an impassioned farewell from his fans in a packed arena in Malaga on Tuesday, following Spain\u2019s 2-1 defeat to the Netherlands in the Davis Cup.
\nThe match marked the 38-year-old\u2019s final professional appearance, bringing an end to his illustrious career.
\nNadal, overwhelmed with emotions, delivered a moving 15-minute speech at a sold-out Malaga venue.
\nThe 22-time Grand Slam champion struggled to hold back tears as he recalled his journey.
\n\u201cWhat I have tried to do is to be a good person, and I hope you\u2019ve seen that,\u201d Nadal told the crowd.
\n\u201cI leave the tennis world having met so many friends along the way. I have so many people to thank. I leave with the peace of mind of having left a sporting and personal legacy I can be proud about. \u201cThanks to all of you, the public. It\u2019s over 20 years (career), good years, bad years. I have been able to live with all of you. I have felt very fortunate to feel so much affection from all over the world, especially here in Spain.\u201d
\nEarlier, Nadal\u2019s singles match ended in a 6-4, 6-4 loss to Botic van de Zandschulp, breaking his 29-match Davis Cup singles winning streak. Despite Carlos Alcaraz\u2019s victory over Tallon Griekspoor, Spain\u2019s hopes ended when Marcel Granollers and Alcaraz were defeated in the deciding doubles match.
\nNadal, who announced his retirement last month, admitted his farewell did not unfold as he had hoped.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s obvious that it didn\u2019t turn out the way we wanted it to. I have given what I had. I want to thank you for allowing me the opportunity to spend these last days as a professional team player,\u201d Nadal said.
\n\u201cMy body has told me it doesn\u2019t want to play tennis anymore and I have to accept that. I am privileged. I have been able to make my hobbies my profession. I am fortunate.
\n\u201cMy family, my team, my friends. I am a person who believes in continuity, I believe in keeping the people you love and who make your life better. I have kept my family close. Without you this would not have been possible.\u201d
\nAs Spain\u2019s Davis Cup captain David Ferrer faced criticism for including Nadal, the Netherlands advanced to face the winner of the Canada-Germany tie in the semi-finals.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Tears flow Nadal admits his farewell did not take place the way he had hoped it to as Spain crashed out of Davis Cup malaga Rafael Nadal got emotional while receiving an impassioned farewell from his fans in a packed arena in Malaga on Tuesday, following Spain\u2019s 2-1 defeat to the Netherlands in the Davis […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":444820,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-444804","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports"],"yoast_head":"\n