2024 will also be remembered as the year of Rafael Nadal’s retirement from professional tennis. The 22-time Grand Slam champion did not achieve brilliant results in his last dance and – after the Paris Olympics – he thought the right time had come to start another chapter of his life.
The former world No. 1 has chosen the Davis Cup Finals as the last official event of his iconic career, hoping to help Spain get as far as possible in Malaga. Spain’s run was a total disappointment, as they were eliminated already in the quarter-finals by Netherlands.
That shocking loss – also caused by some wrong choices by Spanish captain David Ferrer – made Rafa’s farewell ceremony much sadder than expected. Many VIPs and sports champions were absent and the organizers of the event found themselves very unprepared by making several mistakes.
Despite the sad farewell, the last few months do not affect the legacy of one of the best athletes of the modern era in the slightest. The Spanish legend made the history of this sport, taught other athletes what it means to never give up and was the author of some of the greatest feats in the history of modern sport.
His triumphs at the Australian Open and Roland Garros in 2022 will forever remain etched in the…
