"Stop making excuses, Rafael Nadal was not the reason how terrible it was" - Fans slam Feliciano Lopez over comments on Spaniard's Davis Cup farewell

Rafael Nadal's tennis farewell at the 2024 Davis Cup Finals in Malaga was widely regarded as an underwhelming one. Recently, Feliciano Lopez, who served as the director of this year's edition of the international team tennis event, has spoken up about the 38-year-old's farewell and his take has not gone down well with the majority of tennis fans.

Nadal, who endured numerous injury struggles throughout his career, announced in October that the 2024 Davis Cup Finals would mark his final competitive outing as a tennis player. The Spaniard went on to feature in a singles match at the event, but lost it in straight sets to the Netherlands' Botic Van de Zandschulp.

After the match, the former World No. 1 and 22-time Major winner was played a video montage featuring heartwarming messages from some of his fiercest rivals such as Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, and also the likes of WTA legends Serena Williams and Conchita Martinez. While the montage turned Rafael Nadal emotional, many criticized the overarching underwhelming nature of his farewell.

Recently, tournament director Feliciano Lopez, who also happens to be Nadal's compatriot, hit back at critics, saying:

"We should focus on the fact that Nadal chose the Davis Cup to finish his career and not on the ceremony. We did our best."

Lopez's words were shared on X (formerly Twitter) by tennis journalist Jose Morgado.

Several fans were disgruntled with what Lopez had to say about Nadal's farewell. Some lashed out at the Spaniard for continuing to stir controversies similar to the one surrounding Andy Murray's demand for a cake at the 2023 Madrid Open.

"This is similar to Feliciano’s gaslighting during cakegate," a fan wrote.

"It's always Lopez at the scene of the crime somehow," commented another fan.

"Lopez again OMG. How does he get these jobs? He's a terrible commentator/pundit and not much better at running tournaments," another chimed in.

Another set of fans lambasted Lopez over his defense that it was Nadal's idea to retire at the 2024 Davis Cup Finals.

"Stop making excuses. Rafa was not the reason how terrible it was. Just own your (s**t emoji)," one fan opined.

"López is incapable of owning his mistakes," another wrote.

"That the last speakers were Delpo and Novak was a very odd error, just the simple fix of having Fed, Moya, Toni or other family be the last voices would have improved it," weighed in another fan.

In the aftermath of Nadal's farewell at the 2024 Davis Cup Finals, both Spain captain David Ferrer and Nadal's coach Carlos Moya bemoaned the nature of the ceremony.

David Ferrer and Carlos Moya expressed their disappointment over Rafael Nadal's Davis Cup farewell

David Ferrer (L) and Carlos Moya (R) (Source: Getty)

Former ATP stars and pivotal members of Spain's Davis Cup team, David Ferrer and Carlos Moya both aired their frustrations over Rafael Nadal's farewell. Ferrer's take was centered around the absence of Nadal's contemporaries in Malaga.

"I'm sad about everything, about how it happened, about losing the tie... it wasn't the scenario we wanted. We were favourites but we didn't show it. And the farewell to someone as important as Rafa was watered down; very important people in his career were missing, as well as people who have been so important at the level of his rivals and his team. I missed those people," Ferrer told Cope.

Carlos Moya, a former World No. 1 and Nadal's coach, was also critical of how Nadal's Davis Cup farewell turned out.

"It's not the time to blame anyone... But the feeling we're all left with is a bit scruffy and shabby... It's true that it's a Tuesday night, but this is sport, and it was known months in advance that if Spain lost, Rafa would retire. Nadal is far above all this," Moya told Onda Cero's Radioestadio Noche.

Nadal leaves tennis as the men's player with the second-highest singles Grand Slam title haul, which includes a record 14 French Open titles.