MALAGA, Spain — Rafael Nadal’s comparatively low-key retirement ceremony on the Davis Cup was defended by the top of the Worldwide Tennis Federation on Sunday as being dictated by the 22-time Grand Slam champion’s needs.
“Rafa is an incredible participant and has a legacy of tennis that he’ll depart behind, inspiring tens of millions of gamers world wide to play tennis, to proceed to play. We felt it was crucial to hearken to what Rafa wished and the way he wished to be celebrated. That is precisely what we did,” ITF president David Haggerty mentioned at a closing information convention on the web site of the Billie Jean King Cup and Davis Cup in southern Spain.
“We took his lead, and we delivered on that,” Haggerty added. “Individuals can have no matter opinions they need of whether or not it was proper or not, however to me, a very powerful factor was we delivered a ceremony that was what Rafa wished — and being who he’s, was an amazing night, and it was a lot appreciated.”
Feliciano López, the previous participant who’s the Davis Cup Finals match director, deflected a query about the best way Nadal was feted after his workforce, Spain, was eradicated by the Netherlands within the quarterfinals Tuesday.
“We must always focus, all of us, on the truth that Rafa selected Davis Cup to be the ultimate match of his profession as a substitute of hold speaking about his farewell ceremony,” López mentioned. “Actually, we did our greatest.”
A video tribute was performed, with spotlight movies from Nadal’s profession and recorded messages from such present or former gamers as Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Serena Williams.
None of these contemporaries was readily available for the occasion.