Rafael Nadal's agent gives touching tribute to Spaniard after retirement; highlights their travels together

Rafael Nadal's agent Carlos Costa gave a heartfelt tribute to the Spaniard after working alongside him for over two decades. Nadal retired from professional tennis after the Netherlands ousted Spain from the Davis Cup Finals.

On Tuesday, November 19, Spain faced the Netherlands in the quarterfinals of the Davis Cup Finals at the Martin Carpena Arena in Malaga. All eyes were on Nadal, who had earlier announced his plans to retire after the event, making this potentially his final singles match.

However, the legendary Spaniard, far from his best, fell in straight sets to Botic van de Zandschulp. Carlos Alcaraz kept Spain's hope high as he defeated Tallon Griekspoor in the second singles match, leveling the tie at 1-1. But the decisive doubles match went in favor of the Dutch, who clinched the tie 2-1, effectively marking the end of Nadal’s illustrious career.

Tributes for the 38-year-old had been pouring in even before the tie and continued to flood in after his retirement was confirmed. Among the most poignant was a heartfelt message from his agent, Carlos Costa, who shared a photograph of his ID cards from tournaments he attended with Nadal over the past two decades.

Costa captioned the post (translated from Spanish):

"22 years around the world enjoying a great @rafaelnadal in the best tournaments in the world."

Costa, a former World No. 10, was the IMG Spain Vice President Tennis Division when Nadal began his career. After working with Nadal through IMG for over 10 years, Costa founded HIS7ORY SPORTS MANAGEMENT and worked with the Spaniard independently for the rest of his career.

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Rafael Nadal's tribute to his family and close ones in his retirement speech at the Davis Cup Finals

Rafael Nadal at the Davis Cup Finals (Image: Getty)

Rafael Nadal addressed the crowd in Malaga after Spain exited the Davis Cup following their loss to the Netherlands. The 38-year-old opened up about how his family and close ones had helped throughout his two-decade-long tennis career.

"I'm privileged. I've been able to make my profession my pastime. I'm a lucky one. My family, my team, my friends. I'm a person who believes in continuity, I believe in keeping people who want and making your life better. I've kept my family close. Without you this would not have been possible," he said.

Further, Nadal credited his family and well-wishers for keeping him grounded and shaping him into someone who can approach the future calmly.

Nadal's illustrious career boasts an incredible 22 Grand Slam titles, including a record-breaking 14 French Open crowns. He also secured two Olympic gold medals and four Davis Cup titles for Spain, cementing his legacy as one of tennis's all-time greats.