It didn’t end how Rafael Nadal would have liked it to be. In his last appearance at the Davis Cup, the Spanish legend lost his singles tie against Botic van de Zandschulp. Subsequently, his team lost the tie 2-1 to bow out of the Davis Cup Finals. That defeat ensured it was the last match of Nadal’s professional tennis career which spanned over two decades. However, days after playing his final encounter, a big update on Nadal was released which left fans saddened.

Earlier today, Nadal officially registered himself as a retired player to ITIA. This comes weeks after he played his last match, ending any speculations on the U-turn on his retirement. This left his fans dejected, who were already reeling from the emotional journey that ended with the Spaniard’s loss at the Davis Cup.

Following his defeat at the Davis Cup, Nadal said, “The titles, the numbers, are there, so people probably know that, but the way I would like to be remembered is as a good person from a small village in Mallorca. Just a kid that followed their dreams, worked as hard as possible. … I have been very lucky.”

Meanwhile, the news about Nadal officially registering as a retired player went viral on Reddit. Thousands of fans reacted to the grim update, with many making emotional comments.

Fans were left saddened as Rafael Nadal officially registered as a retired player

A couple of years back, Roger Federer left tennis under similar circumstances as Nadal. The Swiss maestro called time on his illustrious career at the Laver Cup in 2022. Federer was away from action for a while and made his comeback only to bid adieu to the sport. And just like Federer, Nadal also came back and played just a match before his retirement. However, the fans are particularly sad about the way Nadal left tennis. One of the fans commented, “Rafa’s hit me much harder than Roger’s.”

Nadal tried to make a comeback several times this year, but constant injury setbacks kept him away from the court. The fans wanted Nadal to have one last laugh before his retirement. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case, and one fan said, “I was never going to be ready for this moment.”

Similarly, another Rafael Nadal fan felt that his idol retired very early even as he showed glimpses of good form during his Davis Cup appearance. The fan commented that the Spanish maestro retired ‘too soon.’ Further, with Federer already retiring in 2022 and Nadal calling time on his illustrious career now, two of the famed ‘Big Three’ in tennis have left the sport. Thus, one Reddit user rightly said, “End of an era.”

While most of the fans were sad to see Nadal bidding adieu to the sport, one fan was impressed that Nadal got the timing of his retirement spot-on. The Spaniard has been reeling with injuries and didn’t have the legs to carry on any further. Thus, the fan commented, “So much respect for these superstars. Must be so difficult to retire and get the timing correct. He would probably retire in 2022 if he could go back Would have been beautiful to see Novak retire after Paris Olympics. Just go out like Sampras!”

Nadal would be keen to enjoy his post-retirement life and spend quality time with his loved ones. Do you think he will take up any other role in the sport going forward? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.