GUWAHATI, Nov 20: Spainish tennis great Rafael Nadal called time on his 23-year glittering career as Spain were beaten by the Netherlands in the Davis Cup quarter-finals on Tuesday night.
Nadal lost 6-4 6-4 to Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp in his final competitive match, bowing out with a defeat.
The 38-year-old 22-time Grand Slam champion retired as the second-most successful men’s singles player behind rival Novak Djokovic.
“I was just a kid that followed their dreams, worked as hard as possible to be where I am today,” Nadal said after the match.
Nadal had in October announced that he will be retiring from professional tennis at the end of the season.
Called ‘King of Clay’, the Spainard won 14 French Open titles and establishing himself as one of the greatest players ever to have played the game.
