Rafael Nadal says he want to be remembered as “a child who adopted their goals” because the tennis nice bid a poignant farewell to the game.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion’s 23-year profession got here to an finish in Malaga on Tuesday night time after Spain have been crushed by the Netherlands within the Davis Cup quarter-finals.
Nadal retires because the second-most profitable males’s singles participant of all time, behind solely long-time rival Novak Djokovic.
The 38-year-old mentioned he hoped to be remembered primarily as “a superb individual”.
“I might wish to be remembered as a child that achieved greater than I ever dreamed,” Nadal mentioned throughout an on-court presentation.
“I’ve been very fortunate within the life I’ve had the chance to dwell, I’ve lived unforgettable experiences due to tennis.
“I used to be only a child that adopted their goals, labored as onerous as doable to be the place I’m right this moment.
“The way in which I might wish to be remembered most is as a superb individual from a small village in Mallorca.”