Rafael Nadal Gets Standing Ovation After Losing Possible Last Match of His Career

It has been an emotional night for Nadal as it might have been his last professional match.

Rafael Nadal of Team Spain waves to the crowd after his loss at the Davis Cup. / Angel Martinez/Getty Images

Rafael Nadal may have just played his final match of his professional tennis career on Tuesday. He lost 6–4, 6–4 in a singles match to Botic van de Zandschulp from Team Netherlands.

Nadal will be retiring this week at the Davis Cup, it all just depends on how far Team Spain advances. Since Nadal played in the first match on Tuesday, it's unknown now if it was his final match.

In case it was the last time Nadal graced a tennis court in a professional tournament, the crowd in Malaga, Spain responded accordingly when Nadal walked off the court. The packed crowd gave the 22-time major champion a big standing ovation—much deserved for the tennis legend. He returned to the court to show his gratitude for his fans.

👏🇪🇸#DavisCup pic.twitter.com/4znRwAvLui

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) November 19, 2024

It was an emotional night from start to finish for Nadal, though, as he cried during Spain's national anthem before he took the court.

There wasn't any retirement dedication to Nadal after the match since we don't know if that was his final match or not yet—that will be up to his teammates on Team Spain.

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