Nadal: “I leave with the peace of mind that I have left a legacy”

The 22-time Grand Slam champion played his last competitive match on November 19, 2024

Rafael Nadal (Lorenzo Carnero/ZUMA Press Wire//SIPA)

November 20, 2024

Many would argue that retiring at 40 is premature but Rafael Nadal has done it at 38, leaving millions in tears of joy and pain at the same time.

The idea of not seeing Nadal smash the tennis ball with formidable velocity after November 19, 2024, fills us fans with extreme exasperation but his departure somehow doesn’t feel untimely. He did what many tennis players can only dream of. And watching him fail to produce the same in recent months wasn’t pleasing to the eyes, heart, and soul.

Along with the 22 Grand Slam titles, two Olympic gold medals, and 209 weeks as the world No 1, the adulation Nadal basked in wherever he went ever since turning pro in 2001 makes his heritage more special.

The Spaniard seemed to agree with the notion when he spoke after his Spanish team failed to overcome the Netherlands in the 2024 Davis Cup quarter-finals on Tuesday (November 19).

I leave with the peace of mind that I have left a legacy, which I really feel is not just a sporting one but a personal one.”
Rafael Nadal

“I understand that the love I have received, if it was just for what happened on the court, would not be the same,” Nadal said during his farewell ceremony in Malaga. “The titles, the numbers are there, so people probably know that but the way that I would like to be remembered more is like a good person from Mallorca, just a kid that followed their dreams, worked as hard as possible to be what I am today and at the end of the day, being honest.

“I have been very lucky that the life give me the opportunity to live unforgettable experiences because of tennis so I just want to be remembered as a good person.”

And that's how we'll always remember you, Rafa#DavisCup #Rafa #GraciasRafa pic.twitter.com/XWEGT35anq
— Davis Cup (@DavisCup) November 19, 2024

In his final competitive match, the Spaniard lost to Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp (6-4, 6-4) before Carlos Alcaraz earned a point for the Spanish by defeating Tallon Griekspoor (7-6 (0), 6-3).

Alcaraz later paired up with Marcel Granollers for the deciding doubles duel against Wesley Koolhof and Van de Zandschulp and lost (7-6 (4), 7-6 (3)), ending Nadal’s hopes of winning a sixth Davis Cup title for his country.

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