Barty on Nadal's retirement: "It was a great celebration for him and his career"
In 2025, tennis fans will have to come to terms with the fact that they will no longer see Rafael Nadal on the tennis courts, at least at professional level.
On November 19, during the Davis Cup finals, the Spaniard was beaten in the last match of his career.
Faced with Botic van de Zandschulp, he didn't have enough reserves to dominate the Dutchman and logically lost in two sets (6-4, 6-4).
Now retired, the man with 22 Grand Slam titles was honoured by the public in Malaga, and tributes from the sporting world as a whole were numerous.
Former world number 1 Ashleigh Barty, who retired from the courts in 2022, spoke about the farewell ceremony reserved for this illustrious champion.
"It was my dream: I wanted to retire representing Australia in the Fed Cup. I know the feeling of celebrating your career with the people you love.
It was a great celebration for him and his career. He received many tributes from players and other athletes around the world.
He showed the positive impact he has had on sport and people's lives in general," said Barty in an interview with Code Sports.