Rafael Nadal finally brought the curtain down on his superb career after Spain fell to a quarter-final defeat against the Netherlands in the Davis Cup.
Nadal had already announced that he would retire after the tournament and was picked by captain David Ferrer to lead out his side in the opening match in Malaga.
But he was unable to summon his best tennis in his first competitive outing since the Paris Olympics in July, eventually failing to a 6-4 6-4 defeat against Botic van de Zandschulp.
Carlos Alcaraz levelled up the best-of-three encounter after a win against Tallon Griekspoor but Spain were ultimately knocked out when Alcaraz and Marcel Granollers were defeated 7-6 7-6 in the doubles decider against Dutch duo Van de Zandschulp and Wesley Koolhof.
With defeat to the Netherlands, Nadal concludes a superb 23-year career that has seen him win 22 Grand Slams and become one of the sport’s most beloved figures.
Addressing the crowd and his family in the stands as tributes poured in from around the sporting world, a teary-eyed Nadal said: ‘The titles, the numbers are there. People probably know that. But the way I would like to be remembered is like a good person from a small village in Mallorca.
‘I had the luck that I had, my uncle was a tennis coach when I was a very small kid and I had a great family who supported me. I was just a kid who followed their dreams, worked as hard as possible to be where I am today.
‘At the end of the day, being honest, a lot of people work hard and try their best every day but I am one of the ones lucky to have the life I have, to have had the unforgettable experiences.
‘I want to be remembered as a good person, a kid that followed their dreams and achieved more than I ever dreamed [possible].’
Earlier in the day, Nadal was visibly emotional as the national anthem rung out before his match earlier and gave little away in the opening stages against World No. 80 Van de Zandschulp.
However, the ageing veteran soon began to show signs of his restricted movement around the court and, with his opponent growing into the encounter, the 38-year-old was eventually broken to give the Dutchman a 5-4 lead in the first set.
Van de Zandschulp made no mistake, serving out the final game to wrap up the first set before breaking Nadal’s serve immediately again at the start of the second set.
The 29-year-old threatened to run away with the contest when he broke for a third time in the contest to take a 4-1 lead in the second set.
However, Nadal fought back valiantly, creating a host of opportunities before breaking straight back in the following game. Ultimately, though, the Dutchman would hold his nerve, serving out his final two games to silence the home crowd and claim a huge victory.
In some ways, defeat for Spain in the quarter-final may ultimately have proved a better exit for Nadal. Had they reached the semi-final, captain Ferrer would have found it hard to justify selecting Nadal given his fitness issues and lack of match sharpness.
Nadal knew as much and admitted after his defeat that he wouldn’t have picked himself for the semi-final clash if he was captain.
‘I practised quite well. David [Ferrer] was confident that I was the player to play,’ the 38-year-old said before Spain were knocked out.
‘I tried to help the team to put a win out there, but was not possible. Just didn’t work. Probably the easy move and maybe the right move is to change.
‘If I would be the captain, probably I will change. If we go through, that’s my feeling. But at the end, is not my decision, and I’m sure that he will make the best decision possible for the team.’
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