'A kid that followed their dreams': Nadal plays final match of professional career

Rafael Nadal said he wanted to be remembered as a "kid that followed their dreams" as the 22-time Grand Slam champion played the last match of his professional career on Tuesday.

The 38-year-old lost in straight sets to Netherlands' Botic van de Zandschulp in the Davis Cup quarterfinals in Málaga, Spain.

Nadal announced his retirement from professional tennis in September.

"The titles, the numbers, are there, so people probably know that, but the way I would like to be remembered is as a good person from a small village in Mallorca," he said after the match.

“Just a kid that followed their dreams, worked as hard as possible to be where I am today.”

Nadal addressed his fans and thanked the team who had 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."

Nadal watched with tears in his eyes while other tennis greats, including Roger Federer, Andy Murray and Serena Williams, praised the Spaniard in videos recorded for a retirement ceremony.

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.

Old-time rival and friend Federer, who himself retired in 2022, shared an emotional tribute on X saying that "your old friend is always cheering for you".

"You challenged me in ways no one else could. On clay, it felt like I was stepping into your backyard, and you made me work harder than I ever thought I could just to hold my ground," he wrote.

As Federer recalled his own final match at the Laver Cup in London, he said it "meant everything to me that you were there by my side - not as my rival but as my doubles partner."

"Sharing the court with you that night, and sharing those tears, will forever be one of the most special moments of my career," he added.

Emotions were running high before the match on Tuesday.

The Málaga crowd cheered for Nadal when he was introduced with Team Spain, with some spectators appearing to be in tears.

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

Nadal has won the French Open a record 14 times and is also a two-time Wimbledon champion and four-time US Open winner.

However, he has struggled with various injuries in recent years.

When announcing his retirement, he said: "The reality is that it has been some difficult years, these last two especially. I don’t think I have been able to play without limitations.

"It is obviously a difficult decision, one that has taken me some time to make. But, in this life, everything has a beginning and an end.”

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