An emotional Rafael Nadal retires at the Davis Cup after he loses and Spain is eliminated
Associated PressMALAGA, Spain — Rafael Nadal bit his lower lip and his reddened eyes welled with tears as he stood alongside his Davis Cup teammates for Spain’s national anthem Tuesday before what he — and everyone — knew might be the last match of his career. And it was during an on-court, post-match ceremony to honor Nadal that he cried and cried, at the singsong chorus of “Raaa-faaa” from the spectators, at the video showing highlights from his more than two decades on tour and the collection of recorded tributes from current or former players such as his Big Three rivals Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams, Conchita Martinez and Andy Murray, and stars from other sports such as golf’s Sergio Garcia or soccer’s David Beckham. “I lost my first match in the Davis Cup, and I lost my last one,” Nadal said with a wide grin. “You know very well what you have meant to the tennis world,” said Spain’s captain, David Ferrer, who lost to Nadal in the 2013 French Open final.