RAFAEL* NADAL RETIRES : GLOBAL HONOURS

 

'' I Have Left A Legacy.'' says Nadal. The 22-time Grand Slam winner enjoyed a glittering career over the past 23 years.

Rafael Nadal said he has left both a sporting and personal legacy after retiring from professional tennis on Tuesday at the Davis Cup.

The 38-year-old was beaten in the opening singles rubber of the quarter-finals as Netherlands defeated Spain 2-1 to reach the final four.

Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam winner, enjoyed a glittering and historic career over the past 23 years.

'' I leave with the peace of mind that I have left a legacy, which I really feel is not just a sporting one but a personal one,'' Nadal told fans in Malaga in a speech during a ceremony to honour his retirement..

'' I understand that the love that I have received, if it was just for what happened on the court, would not be the same.''

Nadal paid credit to many who have helped him along the way, including his uncle Toni Nadal, who coached him as a child and for a large part of his career.

'' The titles, the numbers are there, so people probably know that, but the way that I would like to be remembered more is like a good person, from a small village in Mallorca,''  continued Nadal.

'' I had the luck that I had my uncle that was a tennis coach in my village when I was a very, very small kid, and a great family that supports me in every moment .........."

'' I just want to be remembered as a good person, a kid that followed their dreams and achieved [ even ] more than what I had dreamed.''

Nadal was celebrated with a video montage on the many screens around the Martin Carpena arena in Malaga where over 10,000 fans saw his career come to a close.

The World Students Society thanks AFP.