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Rafael Nadal - Australian Open 2023

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Rafael Nadal reveals how he would like to be remembered in retirement

Matthew Johns
Matthew Johns
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Rafael Nadal has officially played his final ever professional match, with the Spaniard bowing out in-front of his home crowd in Malaga.Nadal was selected to play singles for Spain in their Davis Cup quarter-final tie against the Netherlands, but suffered a straight sets defeat to Botic van de Zandschulp in only his second ever singles defeat in the competition.
Carlos Alcaraz responded with a singles victory over Tallon Griekspoor to level things up, but lost the doubles decider alongside Marcel Granollers to confirm the end of Nadal’s decorated career. Nadal was met with raptures of applause from the packed crowd in Malaga, who he addressed on court after the conclusion of the tie and ultimately the end of his career as a professional tennis player. “It has been 20 years of a professional career in which you have carried me through the good times, and in the bad you pushed me to keep playing,” said Nadal. “I have been able to live with Spain and with everyone, I have felt very grateful to feel the affection of all the public and especially here in Spain.” The Mallorcan continued, “I want to congratulate the Netherlands and thank the whole Spanish team that is here, who have let me play the Davis Cup again, which has not gone as we all wanted. I have given everything I had. “I have lived many important moments of my career with those who are here, it has been a privilege, we have achieved many beautiful things and now it is your turn to continue living them, which I am sure will come. The truth is that you never want to get to this point. I’m not tired of playing tennis but my body doesn’t want to play any more, and you have to accept that. I feel super privileged, I’ve been able to make my hobby my profession for a long time.”
With Nadal set to move away from the matchcourt, there has been a lot of discussion about what his legacy will be as one of the greatest players of all time. However, it seems as though the 38-year-old would rather be remembered for his personality traits over his many victories on the court. “I would like to be remembered more as a good person from a small village in Majorca,” revealed Nadal. “I had the luck that my uncle was a tennis coach, and I had a great family. Just a kid that followed their dreams, worked as hard as possible to be where I am today. “But a lot of people try their best every single day. I have been very lucky in the life I have had the opportunity to live, I have lived unforgettable experiences because of tennis. I’d like to be remembered as a kid that achieved more than I ever dreamed.”
Inside the baseline…There is so much you can say about Rafael Nadal and his incredible career, which makes it so difficult as to know what to say. Of course it is a shame that his career ended in a straight sets defeat, but Nadal seems content with the conclusion of his 23-year spell as one of the most iconic sporting figures in history. What you can say about Nadal is that no-one will ever be able to replicate his fight and tenacity on court, that enabled him to reach the very top of the sport, claim 22 Grand Slam titles and become the greatest clay court player to ever live. 

Rafael Nadal Career Achievements

As much as Nadal wanted to focus on who he is as a person, we could not go without looking back on some of his incredible achievements:Career-high Singles Ranking: No.1 (209 weeks across 13 spells)
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Number of Titles: 103 (92 Singles, 11 Doubles)Grand Slam Titles: 22 (2 Australian Open, 14 Roland Garros, 2 Wimbledon, 4 US Open)ATP Masters 1000 Titles: 39 (36 Singles, 3 Doubles)Olympic Gold Medals: 2 (1 Singles, 1 Doubles)
Davis Cup Titles: 5
READ MORE: Roger Federer pays ’emotional’ tribute to retiring Rafael Nadal
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