Retiring Nadal's career ends with Davis Cup defeat in his homeland

By Emre Asikci

ISTANBUL (AA) – Tennis legend Rafael Nadal made the final appearance of his professional career on Tuesday, bowing out with a 6-4, and 6-4 loss to Botic van de Zandschulp in the Davis Cup quarterfinals.

Nadal, 38, who has struggled to regain his peak form in recent years due to injuries, played his final match for Spain in the Davis Cup against the Netherlands in the Spanish city of Malaga.

With an extraordinary career with 22 Grand Slam titles, Nadal retired as the second-most successful men's singles player of all time, trailing only Novak Djokovic, who holds 24 Grand Slam titles.

Nadal, known as the 'King of Clay,' won a record 14 French Open (Roland Garros) titles, the last in 2022.

In addition, he won the Australian Open and Wimbledon titles twice each and secured four US Open championships.

Nadal won a gold medal in Beijing in 2008.

He was a central figure in men’s tennis, part of the iconic "Big Three" with Switzerland’s Roger Federer and Serbia’s Novak Djokovic.

Following Federer’s retirement in 2022, Nadal also bid farewell to the courts in 2024, marking the end of an era. This leaves 37-year-old Djokovic as the sole active player from this legendary trio, continuing to carry the torch in men’s tennis.