Rafael Nadal retires after Spain is upset by the Netherlands in the Davis Cup

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Rafael Nadal’s remarkable 23-year career came to an end after Spain was eliminated by the Netherlands in the Davis Cup quarterfinals on Tuesday.

In emotional scenes, Nadal - playing in his final professional tennis event - watched with tears in his eyes while other tennis greats, including Roger Federer, lauded the Spanish great in a retirement ceremony.

Earlier in the day, Nadal lost to Botic van de Zandschulp.

The Málaga, Spain, crowd tried to will the 22-time grand slam singles champion to victory, but van de Zandschulp prevailed, 6-4, 6-4.

Nadal’s all-time singles record at the Davis Cup stands at 29-2. His only other loss came against Czech Jiri Novak in 2004.

“I lost my first match in the Davis Cup, and I lost my last one. So we close the circle,” Nadal said to reporters.

Spanish teammate Carlos Alcaraz’s beat Tallon Griekspoor in the second singles match of the day to force a decisive doubles tilt.

The Dutch duo Wesley Koolhof and van de Zandschulp defeated Alcaraz and Marcel Granollers 7-6 (4), 7-6 (3) to take the tie 2-1 and advance to the tournament semifinals.

Rafael Nadal serves during a French Open match in 2018. Christophe Simon/AFP/Getty Images A young Nadal poses with his trophies at a tennis club in Mallorca, Spain. He was coached by his uncle Toni, who persuaded him to play left-handed despite being naturally right-handed. Frank Coppi/Popperfoto/Getty Images Nadal, 13, competes at a junior tournament in France in 2000. Manuel Blondeau/AOP.Press/Corbis/Getty Images Nadal plays at the Hamburg Masters in Germany in 2003. Nadal’s powerful forehand, hit with extreme top spin, would become his signature shot. Friedemann Vogel/Bongarts/Getty Images Nadal rides a dolphin at the Miami Seaquarium in March 2004. Al Bello/Getty Images Nadal, second from right, poses with other members of Team Spain after they won the Davis Cup in December 2004. With Nadal, from left, are Juan Carlos Ferrero, Tommy Robredo, Jordi Arrese and Carlos Moya. Clive Brunskill/Getty Images Nadal signs autographs at the Australian Open in January 2005. Nick Laham/Getty Images Nadal reacts after he won the French Open final in June 2005. He defeated Mariano Puerta to claim his first grand slam title. Christophe Ena/AP Nadal, top left, plays Roger Federer during a special “Battle of the Surfaces” tennis match in Palma, Spain, in May 2007. Half of the court was on clay, Nadal’s specialty, and half was on grass, Federer’s specialty. Nadal won the three-set exhibition in front of his home crowd. Dani Cardona/Reuters Nadal lifts the Philippe Chatrier Trophy after defeating Federer to win the French Open in June 2007. It was his third straight French Open title. Clive Brunskill/Getty Images Nadal and Federer leave the court together after the Wimbledon final in July 2007. Federer had just won for the fifth straight year. Anja Niedringhaus/AP Nadal poses for an underwater portrait in Monaco in 2007. Clive Brunskill/Getty Images Nadal and Federer play an epic Wimbledon final in July 2008. Nadal won a five-set thriller that lasted nearly five hours, ending Federer’s reign in what some called the greatest tennis match they had seen. Simon Bruty/Sports Illustrated/Getty Images Nadal celebrates after defeating Federer in the 2008 Wimbledon final. It was Nadal’s first Wimbledon title. Alessia Pierdomenico/Pool/Getty Images Nadal, center, listens to the Spanish national anthem after winning gold at the Beijing Olympics in August 2008. He defeated Chile’s Fernando Gonzalez in the final. Serbia’s Novak Djokovic, seen on the right, won the bronze. Behrouz Mehri/AFP/Getty Images Nadal hugs Federer after defeating him in the Australian Open final in February 2009. The two rivals played each other 40 times. Nine of those matches were grand slam finals. Andrew Brownbill/AP Nadal and Federer are seated for a group photo with other stars at the ATP World Tour Finals in November 2009. Standing, from left, are Juan Martin del Potro, Djokovic, Andy Murray, Fernando Verdasco, Nikolay Davydenko and Robin Soderling. Julian Finney/Getty Images Nadal reacts after winning a Davis Cup match in December 2009. David Ramos/AP Nadal celebrates in the locker room with Spain’s football team after it won the FIFA World Cup in July 2010. At right is Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas. Alex Livesey/FIFA/Getty Images Nadal hits a shot in the US Open final in September 2010. Nadal defeated Djokovic to win his first US Open and complete a career grand slam. David Saffran/Icon Sports Wire/Corbis/Getty Images Nadal raises his arms in victory after winning the 2010 US Open final. Only seven other male players in history have won all four major championships. Clive Brunskill/Getty Images Nadal and Federer play on a floating court to promote the city of Doha, Qatar, ahead of the Qatar Open in 2011. Ho New/Qatar Tennis Federation/Reuters Nadal’s French Open dominance is evident by the inscriptions on the trophy in June 2013. He had just won his fourth straight French and the eighth of his career. Christophe Ena/AP Nadal, right, and David Ferrer rest between sets at the Paris Masters in November 2013. Charles Platiau/Reuters Nadal arrives for a match at the ATP World Tour Finals in November 2013. Suzanne Plunkett/Reuters Nadal, back center, attends a ceremony in Palma, Spain, where he was named a “Favorite Son of Mallorca” in 2014. Jaime Reina/AFP/Getty Images Nadal delivers a serve during an Australian Open match in 2015. Hannah Peters/Getty Images Nadal carries Spain’s flag during the Olympics opening ceremony in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. Franck Fife/AFP/Getty Images Nadal celebrates after defeating Stan Wawrinka to win the 2017 French Open. Julian Finney/Getty Images Nadal ties his headband before a Wimbledon semifinal match in 2018. Daniel Leal/Pool/AFP/Getty Images An advertisement is seen behind Nadal during an Australian Open match in January 2019. Aly Song/Reuters Nadal warms up before entering the court for the French Open final in June 2019. Philippe Lopez/AFP/Getty Images Nadal plays a forehand during a Wimbledon semifinal in July 2019. Adrian Dennis/Pool/Getty Images Nadal reacts after defeating Daniil Medvedev to win the US Open in September 2019. Nadal played in 30 grand slam finals and won 22 of them. Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/AP Nadal poses with his wife, Maria Francisca Perello, after they were married in Mallorca in October 2019. Fundacion Rafa Nadal/Getty Images Nadal rests between games at the Australian Open in 2020. Fred Lee/Getty Images People in Paris watch Nadal and Alexander Zverev play a French Open semifinal in June 2022. Thomas Samson/AFP/Getty Images Nadal celebrates after he defeated Casper Ruud to win the 2022 French Open. It was his 22nd grand slam title and the last of his career. Clive Brunskill/Getty Images Nadal receives the Camino Real Award from Spain’s King Felipe in September 2022. Jesus Hellin/Europa Press/Getty Images Nadal teams up with Federer for a doubles match at the Laver Cup in London in September 2022. It was the final match of Federer’s career Julian Finney/Getty Images for Laver Cup Federer and Nadal tear up after their Laver Cup match. Ella Ling/Shutterstock Nadal waves goodbye to fans and receives a thunderous ovation after he lost to Zverev in the first round of the French Open in May 2024. His all-time record at the French Open was 112-4. “I don’t know if it’s going to be last time I’m going to be here in front of you,” he said in an on-court interview after the match. “I am not 100% sure, but if it is the last time, I enjoyed it.” Thibault Camus/AP Nadal carries the Olympic flame on a boat during the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics in July 2024. With him are a few famous former Olympians: from left, Carl Lewis, Nadia Comăneci and Serena Williams. Alex Pantling/Getty Images Nadal and Spain's Carlos Alcaraz react while playing a men's doubles match at the Paris Olympics in July 2024. Patricia de Melo Moreira/AFP/Getty Images Nadal waves to the crowd during a tribute after playing his last match as a professional tennis player in the Davis Cup quarterfinals in Málaga, Spain, in November 2024. Manu Fernandez/AP In pictures: Tennis legend Rafael Nadal Prev Next

Emotions were running high before a ball was hit Tuesday.

The Málaga crowd roared for the 38-year-old Nadal, playing in his first competitive match in three months when he was introduced with Team Spain.

As the television broadcast panned the crowd, it showed some spectators who appeared to already be in tears.

Nadal, too, had tears in his eyes as the Spanish national anthem played, and the crowd chanted “Rafa!” after the anthem.

Nadal showed what fans have seen his entire career. He unleashed his classic fist pumps – and showed his signature mental fortitude in never giving up until the final point despite being down.

Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz of Spain line up for the national anthems ahead of Tuesday's Davis Cup quarterfinal. Clive Brunskill/Getty Images for ITF

Meanwhile, the Dutchman held his nerve. Van de Zandschulp already had experience in getting the best of a Spaniard on a hard court this year, having upset Alcaraz in straight sets in the second round of the US Open.

After match point, Nadal received a standing ovation from the crowd as he waved, blew kisses, and clapped to all who showed their admiration for the Spanish hero.

“The crowd was tough, of course. Understandable,” van de Zandschulp said. “That’s what it is to play here in Spain against Rafa. I think he’s the biggest sportsman here in Spain that ever lived. It was a really special event.”

Following the Dutch upset, organizers held a short ceremony for the 38-year-old.

Standing at center court, Nadal addressed his fans and acknowledged the team who supported him over the years.

“A lot of people worked hard. A lot of people tried their best every single day,” he said.

“I have been very lucky, that the life gave me the opportunity to live unforgettable experiences because of tennis.

“I just want to be remembered as a good person and a kid that followed their dreams and achieved more than what I’ve ever dreamed.”

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