"Sad to see Rafael Nadal go out like this";"Hope it won't cost Spain" - Fans react to Spaniard's disappointing loss in potential final match of career

Fans expressed a mix of heartbreak, respect and frustration following Rafael Nadal's loss to Botic van de Zandschulp in Spain's Davis Cup quarterfinal tie against the Netherlands. This was potentially the Spaniard's final match of his career.

On Tuesday (Nov. 19), Spain commenced their 2024 Davis Cup Finals journey against the Netherlands in the quarterfinal. In the first singles match, Nadal, who is playing the final tournament of his career, took on Zandschulp.

The 38-year-old Spaniard has a 12-7 record in 2024, and he was a shadow of his former self during his encounter against the Dutchman. Zandschulp kept his composure throughout the match to win 6-4, 6-4.

In the next singles tie, Carlos Alcaraz had to defeat Tallon Greikspoor so Spain could remain in the tie. One fan on Reddit questioned Spain captain David Ferrer’s decision to exclude Roberto Bautista Agut, who had recently won in Antwerp, fearing it might impact Spain’s chances in the Davis Cup. They wrote:

"I get Ferrer’s choice, but I feel kinda bad for Bautista Agut. He won Antwerp a couple of weeks ago and would have been a good fit in these conditions. Hope it won’t cost Spain the tie"

Comment byu/chespiotta from discussion intennis

One fan was emotional watching Nadal play below his usual standard. They wrote:

"Sad to see him go out like this. Clearly nowhere near the level to be playing a singles match. The Olympics would’ve been a fitting end on his court against his biggest rival.. Cruel from the camera crew who often cut to Bautista sitting there after Nadal unforced errors"

Comment byu/chespiotta from discussion intennis

"Rest well King of Clay," one fan wrote.

"Man. I tried watching this, but it hurt watching Rafa play like that. I just couldn't do it," another fan wrote.

One fan noted Zandschulp's impressive performance in matches against Spanish opponents. He had previously defeated Carlos Alcaraz at the 2024 US Open.

"Botic against Spanish is a different breed," they wrote.

One fan, meanwhile, reflected on Nadal’s career-long resilience, they wrote:

"Of course, it’s brutal to watch one of the greatest end his career like this, but something Rafa has shown us, even today, is that we fight until the end. For anyone struggling or going through a hard time, I just hope this can inspire us to believe in fighting until the last point. Thank you, Rafa!"

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"Rafael Nadal is the biggest sportsman in Spain that has ever lived" - Botic van de Zandschulp's kind words for Davis Cup Finals opponent

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

During his post-match interview, Botic van de Zandschulp confessed to feeling nervous ahead of facing Rafael Nadal. Despite the crowd’s hostility towards him, the Dutchman candidly acknowledged that if he were a spectator, he too would have been cheering for the Spanish legend.

"In the beginning, I think we were both nervous. The first serve didn’t go smoothly, the crowd were tough - understandable. Rafa is the biggest sportsman in Spain that has ever lived. It is a really special event... There are too many people from Spain here cheering for him! But if I was sitting next to the court, I’d be cheering for him as well."

Luckily for Spain, Carlos Alcaraz managed to win the singles encounter against Tallon Griekspoor 7-6, 6-3. The tie will now be decided via a doubles match. Alcaraz will partner Marcel Granollers while for the Netherlands, Zandschulp will partner Wesley Koolhof, who will also retire after the Davis Cup Finals.