{"id":128107,"date":"2024-11-20T17:47:47","date_gmt":"2024-11-20T10:47:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=128107"},"modified":"2024-11-20T17:47:47","modified_gmt":"2024-11-20T10:47:47","slug":"rafael-nadal-retires-from-tennis-at-davis-cup-after-spain-lose-to-netherlands","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=128107","title":{"rendered":"Rafael Nadal retires from tennis at Davis Cup after Spain lose to Netherlands"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>MALAGA, Spain \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5929205\/2024\/11\/19\/rafael-nadal-tennis-player-evolution\/\">Rafael Nadal<\/a>\u2019s professional tennis career is over, his final match a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5932319\/2024\/11\/19\/rafael-nadal-davis-cup-result-analysis-van-de-zandschulp\/\">6-4, 6-4 defeat to Botic Van de Zandschulp<\/a> of the Netherlands at the Davis Cup.<\/p>\n<p>That defeat, coupled with Carlos Alcaraz and Marcel Granollers losing the doubles rubber 7-6(4), 7-6(3) to Wesley Koolhof and Van de Zandschulp, saw Spain eliminated from the Davis Cup. With that came the end for Nadal, one of the sport\u2019s most successful players of all time, who in October confirmed that he would <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5833311\/2024\/10\/10\/rafael-nadal-retires-tennis\/\">retire at the event.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Nadal had flashes of his old self during the loss to Van de Zandschulp, but they were all too brief. A couple of aces in crucial moments. A snapped backhand overhead. A scampering chase after a lob that he got back with a spinning overhead while running away from the net.<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately his game proved too meek to survive a powerful, modern player like Van de Zandschulp. Strokes that once would have pelted balls through the court ended up short, allowing the Dutchman to take the initiative off Nadal\u2019s racket.<\/p>\n<p>With Nadal out it was left to Carlos Alcaraz to save him and to save Spain. Alcaraz got halfway there, winning his singles match, but then he and Granollers fell to Van de Zandschulp and Koolhof in straight sets as Nadal sat with his teammates courtside, urging Granollers and Alcaraz on. He stood and pumped his fists two at a time, trying to get them to hang in and give him one more chance at the court.<\/p>\n<p>The match came down to two tiebreaks. Koolhof and Van de Zandschulp played some their best tennis when it counted most, with the weight of saving Nadal\u2019s career for another few days pressing down on the Spaniards. The Dutch took the first tiebreak 7-4. In the second, Van de Zandschulp turned it on with a lunging stab of a volley that nicked the outside of the sideline and a blazing passing shot that sent the Dutch on to the win. Koolhof, 35, is also retiring here. He was not ready to go. He sank to his knees with joy.<\/p>\n<p>Nadal stood and folded his arms. The end had come.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<p><strong>Rafael Nadal retires from tennis<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_5933536\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n<div class=\"wp-caption-image-container\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-5933536 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2024\/11\/19181001\/GettyImages-2185637238-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1706\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2024\/11\/19181001\/GettyImages-2185637238-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2024\/11\/19181001\/GettyImages-2185637238-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2024\/11\/19181001\/GettyImages-2185637238-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2024\/11\/19181001\/GettyImages-2185637238-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2024\/11\/19181001\/GettyImages-2185637238-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"\/><\/p>\n<div class=\"inline-credits\">\n<div class=\"inline-credits-container\">\n      <span class=\"table-cell-span\"\/><br \/>\n      <span class=\"credits-text\">Rafael Nadal won four Davis Cups with Spain. This one was not to be. (Clive Brunskill \/ Getty Images)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>When it was over, he tried to address the crowd in Spanish. The \u201cRafa, Rafa, Rafa\u201d chant that has followed him around the world drowned him out. Then they let their hero speak.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have felt super fortunate to receive so much,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt has been an incredible privilege, an honor that we have enjoyed. We achieved so many things,\u201d he said, addressing members of Spain\u2019s tennis team past and present. Alcaraz looked crestfallen on the sidelines.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNobody ever wants to arrive at this moment \u2014 I am not tired of playing tennis,\u201d Nadal said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy body has arrived at a place where it cannot play anymore. I feel privileged to have extended my career longer than I expected. Thanks to life and to my team,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p>Video tributes came in from legends and rivals: Serena Williams, Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Conchita Martinez, Juan Martin del Potro. Spanish sporting royalty, including Ballon d\u2019Or holder Rodri, former Spain captain and goalkeeper Iker Casillas and striker Raul, and golfer Sergio Garcia lent their voices. David Beckham addressed Nadal \u2013 in Spanish.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have tried to achieve my goals with respect, humility and appreciation for the good things I have experienced. I have tried to be a good person and I hope you have felt that. I leave the world of professional tennis having found many friends,\u201d Nadal said.<\/p>\n<p>Later, Alcaraz offered his own tribute on X, also in Spanish. \u201c<span class=\"css-1jxf684 r-bcqeeo r-1ttztb7 r-qvutc0 r-poiln3\">There will be many more Davis Cups. There is only one Rafa.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"css-1jxf684 r-bcqeeo r-1ttztb7 r-qvutc0 r-poiln3\">\u201cI have become a professional tennis player thanks to you. It has been a blessing to live through your career, as a child for whom you were an idol and then as a teammate! The best possible ambassador, who leaves an eternal legacy,\u201d he wrote.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<p>It is an end that has been coming for two years, with Nadal struggling for form and fitness since his last Grand Slam title at the 2022 French Open.<\/p>\n<p>He retires with 22 Grand Slam titles, second only to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5842735\/2024\/10\/15\/novak-djokovic-results-ranking-sinner-alcaraz-rivalry\/\">Djokovic<\/a> in men\u2019s tennis history with 24. He also won two Olympic gold medals \u2014 one in singles and one in doubles \u2014 and four Davis Cups, with a final total of 92 career singles titles.<\/p>\n<p>Now 38, Nadal made his debut in professional tennis in 2001 at a Futures event, which is the third rung of the ATP tour. He started playing Challengers (a rung up but still one below the main ATP Tour) towards the end of 2002, and then made his main tour and Grand Slam debut the following year, reaching the Wimbledon third round.<\/p>\n<p>Two years later he won his maiden Grand Slam at the French Open, the first of 14 titles at an event where he retires with a record of played 116, won 112, lost four. He won four French Opens in a row between 2005 and 2008, and after that fourth title he won his first non-clay major a few weeks later by beating Roger Federer at Wimbledon in a classic of the 2000s.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5500866\/2024\/10\/10\/rafael-nadal-clay-opponent-experience\/\" class=\"go-deeper\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"go-deeper\">\n<div class=\"go-deeper-img\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2024\/05\/20170156\/0521_RafaelNadal_Clay-1024x512.png?width=128&amp;height=128&amp;fit=cover&amp;auto=webp\" class=\"go-deeper\" alt=\"go-deeper\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"go-deeper-label\">GO DEEPER<\/p>\n<p class=\"go-deeper-title\">What&#8217;s it like to play Rafael Nadal on clay? We asked the players<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Nadal won his first Australian Open in January 2009, but that year he also suffered his first-ever defeat at Roland Garros, to Robin Soderling in the fourth round. He responded by winning five more French Opens in a row between 2010 and 2014 and completing the \u201ccareer Grand Slam\u201d at 24 by winning the 2010 U.S. Open.<\/p>\n<p>Injuries and a crisis of confidence saw him endure two barren years in 2015 and 2016, but with new coach Carlos Moya in tow he rebounded to win a 10th French Open and third U.S. Open in 2017. That \u201cLa Decima\u201d title in Paris began another run of four straight Roland Garros titles, between 2017 and 2020, the last of which was a straight-sets battering of Djokovic, so often his bete noire.<\/p>\n<p>In 2022 he moved ahead of Federer in the men\u2019s Grand Slams leaderboard by winning a 21st and 22nd major at the Australian and French Opens, with that 14th title in Paris proved to be his final Grand Slam.<\/p>\n<p>Though best known for a ferocious and indomitable will to win, Nadal was also one of the great shotmakers in tennis history and perhaps the most complete baseliner the sport has ever seen alongside Djokovic, propelled by his ripped forehand with so much topspin that it kicked high off the court and bamboozled opponents. His rivalries with Federer and Djokovic, who came to be known as the \u2018Big Three,\u2019 created some of the most memorable and high-quality matches in tennis history, each pushing the other to greater heights and creating three of the greatest players in the history of men\u2019s tennis in the process.<\/p>\n<p>Two of them have now bowed out.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><em>(Top photo: Oscar J. Barroso \/ Getty Images)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1660802\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5933496\/2024\/11\/19\/rafael-nadal-retires-tennis-career\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>MALAGA, Spain \u2014 Rafael Nadal\u2019s professional tennis career is over, his final match a 6-4, 6-4 defeat to Botic Van de Zandschulp of the Netherlands at the Davis Cup. That &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=128107\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-128107","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sports","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/128107","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=128107"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/128107\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=128107"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=128107"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=128107"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}