Guillaume Marion, Media365, published on Wednesday November 20, 2024 at 2:20 p.m.
After Spain's elimination in the Davis Cup quarter-finals on Tuesday evening, David Ferrer and Carlos Alcaraz paid tribute to Rafael Nadal, who is now retired.
While he hoped to prolong the pleasure a little longer, Rafael Nadal saw his career end Tuesday evening during the Davis Cup quarter-finals. After the defeat of the latter against Botic van de Zandschulp, if Carlos Alcaraz had then managed to equalize at 1-1, the world number 3 and Marcel Granollers did not manage to offer victory to Spain in the doubles facing the Dutch pair Koolhof – Van de Zandschulp. The early elimination of Spain therefore sends “Rafa” into retirement, he who was entitled to a ceremony in his honor Tuesday evening in Malaga. Subsequently, at a press conference, David Ferrer paid tribute to the man who won 22 Grand Slam titles. “ Saying goodbye to Rafa is very sad, he leaves someone very special in the world of sport, but he will always be remembered. (…) The important thing is that Rafa leaves happy, proud and calm, while being privileged,” declared the latter in particular.
Alcaraz: “A very important figure in my life”
“Every player and every person is different. I handled retirement well, I was tired of myself. Knowing Rafa personally, I think he will handle it well and happily because he is someone who has a lot of interests, a lot of curiosity and a lot of things to do. He is a unique athlete, a great ambassador for our sport and he loves tennis. He will not travel as much because he is very attached to his family, but he will always stay in contact with sport,” also confided the captain of Spain in the Davis Cup. “It's difficult for me at the moment, I feel that I have to perpetuate the legacy that he left us, I can only have good words for him and the career that he had, for his part explained Alcaraz. He was one of the players who helped put tennis at the top, he is a very important figure in my life. »
