Gracias, Rafa: Málaga Unveils Giant Tribute to Nadal

Málaga, Spain is celebrating Rafael Nadal's final tournament with a giant canvas wrapping around the stadium.

Jul 28, 2024; Paris, France; Rafal Nadal (ESP) waves to crowd before paying against Maximo Gonzales (ARG) and Andres Molteni (ARG) in the men's tennis doubles first round during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade Roland Garros. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images / Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Last month, Rafael Nadal announced his upcoming retirement in a heartfelt video. It was perfectly fitting that the Spanish tennis legend decided to play his final match at the 2024 Davis Cup in Málaga, Spain.

In return, the city and tournament organizers are saying thank you to Nadal. Not just for deciding to play represent his country in the "Wold Cup of Tennis," but for decades of athletic excellence. Nadal won 92 ATP-level singles titles, including 22 Grand Slam men's singles titles.

On Tuesday, Ciudad de Málaga Stadium unveiled a giant canvas (2,600 square meters) honoring Nadal. A 15-meter Nadal appears on the sky blue canvas with the message, "Gracias, Rafa."

Instalación de la lona que cubre el frontal del Estadio de Atletismo Ciudad de Málaga con una figura de @RafaelNadal de casi 15 metros de altura en el marco de la campaña del Ayuntamiento y @typcostadelsol. #GraciasRafa pic.twitter.com/ttYnjHsyYt

— Ciudad de Málaga (@malaga) November 12, 2024

The massive tribute is located in front of the accesses to the Palacio de los Deportes Martín Carpena, where Nadal will play his final tournament as a professional tennis player from November 19-24, in the final of the Davis Cup.

Nadal will team up with Carlos Alcaraz, who he played doubles with in the 2024 Paris Olympics, to represent Spain. Spain's first opponent will be the Netherlands in the quarterfinals on Tuesday, November 19.

In addition to hosting the Davis Cup, the stadium also will be the site of the Billie Jean King Cup finals, which begins tomorrow. It is the women's equivalent of the Davis Cup.

The last time Nadal played was at the Six Kings Slam exhibition in Saudi Arabia. The King of Clay bidding farewell in Spain seems like a sold send-off for the iconic athlete. Tennis fans can follow Sports Illustrated's Serve on SI for all the most important news from the sport

More Tennis News

• Rafael Nadal shares video of his preparation for the Davis Cup.

• Rafael Nadal's signature Nike collection is marked down online.

• Carlos Alcaraz canceled his practice short on Tuesday due to ongoing illness.