WATCH: Rafael Nadal's biggest sponsor & $114 billion-worth apparel brand honors Spaniard with special tribute ahead of final tournament of his career

Renowned sports and apparel brand Nike shared a heartfelt tribute video honoring Rafael Nadal, who is poised to bid farewell to his illustrious career at the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga. The video is narrated by Phil Knight, founder of the iconic sporting brand.

In an emotional video shared on his social media accounts in October, Rafael Nadal announced he would retire from professional tennis following the prestigious Davis Cup Finals. The Spain team, also featuring Carlos Alcaraz, will face the Netherlands in the quarterfinals of the Davis Cup on Tuesday, November 19.

In his illustrious career spanning 23 years, the Spaniard achieved numerous successes, including 22 Major titles, while also enjoying a lasting partnership with apparel giant Nike. The $114 billion-worth brand (according to companiesmarketcap.com) recently honored Nadal with a special tribute on its social media accounts ahead of his swansong.

The video was captioned,

"No one has given more to their sport. Or left it all on the court every single time. @RafaelNadal, you showed us what it takes to be the greatest. It only takes everything."

The video featured the voice of Nike's founder Phil Knight speaking about Nadal's relentless commitment to his career:

"When the dust settles, you'll know you've given more than anyone. Chased down every game, shot, point, and put it all on the line for one more win. Not once, but every second, minute, hour, day of your life."

---

Rafael Nadal calm about life after retirement, ahead of Davis Cup campaign

Rafael Nadal at 2022 French Open - Source: Getty

Speaking at a press conference ahead of the Davis Cup, Rafael Nadal expressed that he’s "not worried" about life after tennis. Having spent time away from the sport due to injuries, the Spaniard said, he is accustomed to pursuing other interests during recovery. He said.

"I mean, I am not worried about the next chapter in my life. I have been always happy without tennis, and I had a lot of moments in my life that I was not able to play tennis because of injuries, so I spent a lot of months doing other things. Is true that during recovery so now is a different approach."

Nadal further noted that while the transition may be challenging or different, it's important to respect and adapt to it.

"But at the same time always accept the challenge of an important change in my life that for everyone, when you have important changes in your life, you need to accept the process and accept that the things at the beginning gonna be a little bit, I don't know if difficult, but different, and you need to respect the process, no? So I don't know how the things going to be."

The 38-year-old reached Malaga on November 14 and was part of a practice session ahead of his last professional involvement. Nadal has enjoyed great success in the Davis Cup, winning the tournament five times. He will be looking to bid farewell to the game with a sixth title.