Rafael Nadal's relatively low-key retirement ceremony at the Davis Cup has been defended by the head of the International Tennis Federation as being dictated by the 22-time Grand Slam champion's wishes.

Nadal's late career has been a story of injuries. The long ending is a reminder of the miracle that he lasted until now

Nadal endured repeated injuries over his two decades, some substantial with long delays, but he always found his way back to familiar, brilliant

Rafael Nadal's tennis career includes 22 Grand Slam trophies, a record 14 French Open titles and plenty of other significant numbers.

Rafael Nadal's relatively low-key retirement ceremony at the Davis Cup was defended by the head of the International Tennis Federation on Sunday.

As Rafael Nadal prepared to serve in what turned out to be the last tennis match of his career, a woman's voice broke the silence from the stands: “You make Spain proud!” Not long after that, Nadal was wiping away tears from his face and waving goodbye to his fans.

Novak Djokovic has shared his favourite off-court story about Rafael Nadal, while he also revealed his favourite on-court memory involving his great rival. Nadal retired from tennis after playing the last match of his staggering career at the 2024 Davis Cup Finals in Malaga last week.