Rafael Nadal set for emotional farewell to tennis at Davis Cup Finals: "What a career he has had"
Andy Murray says his long-time rival hasn't changed a bit in the 25 years they've known one another. Nadal will look to bring Spain another Davis Cup title - 20 years after he won his first for the nation.
Tennis
It's the eve of Wimbledon 2022 and tennis legend Rafael Nadal has unexpectedly swept the first two majors of the season, bringing his Grand Slam total to 22.
The superstar Spaniard is riding yet another unexpected high in his career, but as he walks into a small interview studio in a building just next to the tournament's storied Centre Court, he has other business to attend to: He sets out to shake hands with every member of the video production crew he is about to speak to.
"Hello." "Hi, how are you?" "Good to see you again, too."
It's a glimpse at the Spanish national hero and international sporting icon from behind the scenes: Nadal always makes a point to say hi to everyone in the room, be it for an interview, sponsor appearance or with a small group of admiring fans.
It's something he has done since the early days of his career.
This week, those "hellos" will also come with a larger "goodbye" as the two-time Olympic champion bids adieu to competitive tennis for good. It's a fitting stage for what is set to be an emotional farewell, with Nadal donning Spanish colours one last time as he competes at what is known as the World Cup of tennis, the Davis Cup Finals, in Malaga, Spain.
"In this life, everything has a beginning and an end," Nadal said in an emotional video posted last month announcing his pending retirement. "[My career] has been longer and much more successful than I could have ever imagined.
"I think I've come full circle."
That "full circle" comment is a nod to Nadal's long-standing passion to play for his country, dating back to when he had yet to win a major title, when - as a little-known 18-year-old - he rose to tennis superstardom when he led Spain to the Davis Cup in Seville over the U.S.
"[That] was one of my first great joys as a professional tennis player," he said.
And now it's set to be one of his last, too.
Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz to team up - one last time
If it's hard to wrap your head around the greatness of Nadal, look no further than his Spanish teammate Carlos Alcaraz, who was just a toddler when Nadal claimed that first Davis Cup back in 2004.
"He has been my idol since I started playing tennis," Alcaraz said on the day Nadal announced his impending retirement. "I look up to him. Proudly, thanks to him, I really wanted to become professional tennis player. Losing him, in a certain way, is going to be difficult for us, so I will try to enjoy as much as I can when he's going to play.
Nadal and Alcaraz (or "Nadalcaraz" for those of you who have been following more closely), have crossed over in their respective careers in dream-like fashion. Three months after Nadal claimed his 14th (and ultimately final) Roland-Garros in 2022, Alcaraz would shock the tennis world by winning his first major at the US Open.
This summer, the duo teamed up at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 on the doubles court, winning two matches but falling just short of the medal rounds, knocked out in the quarter-finals.
Over the past three years, Nadal had pushed his body through what he calls a "difficult" period, with a hip injury proving the most problematic and requiring surgery that set him out for the majority of 2023.
While he has returned short of his top level this season, he has still produced a memorable farewell tour of sorts, most notably at the ATP Masters 1000 in Madrid in May, where he recorded three wins - including over No.11 Alex De Minaur - en route to a round-of-16 showing.
It was a reminder of what Nadal has always shown the sporting world: Playing with heart is never a bad decision.
Nadal's tennis legacy includes two Olympic gold medals
There have also been "what ifs" in his closing chapter, particularly on his beloved red clay, where he has reigned dominant for much of the last two decades.
There were audible groans when he was drawn against Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion Alexander Zverev in the first round at Roland-Garros, while similar sentiment was felt after Nadal was drawn to face long-time rival Novak Djokovic in the second round of the Olympics, also held at Stade Roland-Garros.
Could he have built momentum-filled runs in Paris much like he did in Madrid? Maybe. But Nadal has never been an athlete to look backwards and ponder 'maybes'.
"What happened" is what happened is what happened - the sentiment of a now-viral clip of Nadal from 2019. He has only known one perspective in his career: Looking forward.
Regardless, the Davis Cup week will bring about plenty of nostalgia. That famous Seville win, some 20 years ago now. His Beijing 2008 Olympic gold in singles, which launched him to world No.1 for the first time. His partnerships with Carlos Moya and Marc Lopez - once teammates and doubles partners - now coaches and close friends.
(Nadal and Lopez teamed up for doubles gold at Rio 2016, as well. Nadal placed fourth in singles at those Games.)
"I've known him since we were like 12, 13 years old," another recent tennis retiree - and two-time Olympic champion - Andy Murray told Olympics.com in Paris of Nadal.
Murray continued: "It's amazing what he has gone on to achieve. And he has always really remained the same as a person as well; he has never really changed. I don't know what's next for him, but what a career he has had."
What a career, indeed.