FINAL FAREWELL

Rafael Nadal in Tears After Playing Last Tournament of His Career

The Spanish tennis star received a standing ovation as he bowed out of the Davis Cup, the final tournament of his professional career.

Rafael Nadal was visibly emotional and had tears in his eyes as he bid farewell to the world of professional tennis on Tuesday. The 22-time Grand Slam champion was given a standing ovation after his 6-4, 6-4 loss to the Netherlands’ Botic van de Zandschulp, and the crowd chanted his name in unison as they marked the end of his last tournament. “The way that I would like to be remembered more is like a good person from a small village in Majorca where I had the luck to have my uncle as a tennis coach,” Nadal told the crowd during a special presentation. “I had a great family who supported me in every moment. I was a kid who followed their dreams, worked as hard as possible to be where I am today. At the end of the day, a lot of people try their best every single day, but I’m very lucky to have the life I have to live because of tennis,” he added.

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