Rafael Nadal’s legacy is one of tenacity that inspired Carlos Alcaraz and many others

MALAGA – No wonder Rafael Nadal I couldn’t take a step around the area Davis Cup Final 8 in recent days without listening to requests for a handshake or Selfie. And that’s what other professional tennis players, not to mention fans, were saying.

The significance of Nadal’s retirement is not diminished by anyone in or outside the sport he is in I’m retiring at the age of 38 after a litany of injuriesand despite all the well-documented success he achieved, his greatest legacy may be the way he inspired other players. The 22-time Grand Slam champion and all time great game he lost the last match of his career as Spain was eliminated by the Netherlands in the quarter-finals as Tuesday turned into Wednesday.

The last player to face and beat Nadal, 29-year-old Botic van de Zandschulp, ranked 80th, spoke about his admiration for the Spaniard after winning 6-4, 6-4. Many current players grew up watching Nadal, admiring him for his skills – from powerful left-handed topspin forehands to precise volleys and everything in between – as well as his tenacious nature, his commitment to seeking improvement, and perhaps most of all, his humility off the court.

He set an example for others from his contemporaries Roger Federer or Novak Djokovic or Serena Williams, members of subsequent generations, including the heir to the throne Carlos Alcaraz.

“I was a big fan of Rafa. He wore all his outfits, shoes, everything. Lots of neon colors,” said Ben Shelton, a 22-year-old member of the U.S. team that will face Australia on Thursday in the second quarterfinals of defending champion Italy and No. 1-ranked Jannik Sinner against Argentina. “And because I’m a leftist, I always watched him and tried to learn from him. One of those perfect examples of how to behave on and off the pitch, how to deal with the press, how to win with class and how to lose with class.

There was this feeling repeated by player after playermany of whom were delighted to be there for his farewell.

“It’s an honor for him to do this event,” said Yannick Hanfmann, member of the team for The German team that defeated Canada 2-0 on Wednesday, and will face the Netherlands in the semifinals on Friday. “He is present everywhere. In the training area, as he walks around, you can see people looking around and trying to take a few photos here and there. He has that aura that was already big, but now that it’s over, maybe it’s more important.”

Hanfmann and others were impressed by Nadal’s commitment to chasing down every shot. By refusing to accept failure, no matter the deficit. By his longevity and consistency – he has been in the top 10 for almost 18 years in a row; 10 consecutive years with at least one major title and his stunning heights, including 14 French Open championships, which earned him the nickname “King Clay”.

His unwavering kindness, expressed in gestures such as how he said goodbye to each volunteer as he left the tournament, or on that Monday when he arrived at the Spanish team’s press conference and approached the stenographer to shake hands with the person who would transcribe the question and answer session answers for reporters.

” There are titles and numbersso people probably know that, but I would like to be remembered as a good man from a small village in Mallorca,” Nadal said during a tear-filled post-match ceremony at Martin Carpena’s sold-out Palacio de Deportes Jose Maria, where thousands chanted to him in unison, “Raaaa-faaa ! Raaaa-faaa!”

“Just a kid who followed his dreams,” he said, “(and) worked as hard as he could.”

No opponent or observer could question his effort, even as injury after injury hampered the game, especially over the last two seasons.

No one ever doubted his drive to improve.

“I will really miss watching him on the court,” said Iga Świątek, a five-time Grand Slam champion and longtime unwavering Nadal fan. “Honestly, that was the only player I watched, so I don’t know if” I’m going to watch tennis at all now. He is a huge inspiration.

That last word, or a variation of it, was used over and over again when paying tribute to Nadal.

Like “intensity” and “passion”, “courage” and “role model”.

“For me,” said Alcaraz, The 21-year-old Spaniard with four major trophies“Honestly, it’s hard to accept that Rafael Nadal is retiring.”

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Howard Fendrich has been an AP tennis writer since 2002. You can find his stories here: https://apnews.com/author/howard-fendrich. More AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis