Nadal’s legacy can be seen in the players who grew up watching him

MALAGA, Spain (AP) — It’s not surprising that Rafael Nadal could no longer take a step on the grounds of the Davis Cup final 8 the past few days without hearing any requests for a handshake or a selfie. And that was just from the other professional tennis players, not to mention the fans.

The significance of Nadal’s retirement is beyond anyone inside or outside the sport he lost running away at the age of 38 after a litany of injuriesand for all the well-documented success he enjoyed, perhaps his greatest legacy is the way he inspired other players. The 22-time Grand Slam champion and always love the game lost the last match of his career as Spain was eliminated by the Netherlands in the quarter-finals as Tuesday turned into Wednesday.

The last man to face – and beat – Nadal, the 80th-ranked Botic van de Zandschulp, who is 29, spoke after his 6-4, 6-4 win about idolizing the Spaniard. Many current players grew up watching Nadal and admiring him for his skills – from the big, topspin left-handed forehands to the precise volleys and everything in between – and his ruthless nature, his dedication to seeking improvement and, perhaps most importantly, his humility off the court.

He was an example for others, contemporaries Roger Federer or Novak Djokovic or Serena Williams, to members of the next generations, including heir apparent Carlos Alcaraz.

“I was a big Rafa fan. He always wore all his equipment, his shoes, everything. Lots of neon colors,” said Ben Shelton, a 22-year-old member of the U.S. team that plays Australia on Thursday, when the other quarterfinal is defending champion Italy and No. 1 Jannik Sinner plays Argentina. “And because he’s left-handed, he’s a guy I’ve always looked at and tried to learn things from. One of those perfect examples of how to do things on and off the field, how to deal with the press, how to win with class, how to lose with class.

That sentiment was echoed by player after player, many of whom were happy to be on site for his farewell.

“Having this as an end point is an honor for the event,” said Yannick Hanfmann, part of the German team that faced Canada on Wednesday. “He is everywhere. When he walks around the training area, you see people looking here and there and trying to take pictures. He has an aura that was already great, but now that this is the end, it may be even more important.”

Hanfmann and others were struck by Nadal’s dedication to chasing every shot down. By a refusal to accept defeat, regardless of the deficit. Due to his longevity and consistency – almost 18 full years in a row in the top 10; 10 consecutive years with at least one major title – and his dizzying highlights, including the 14 French Open championships that earned him the nickname ‘King of Clay’.

His unfailing politeness, reflected in gestures such as when he said goodbye to each volunteer as he left a tournament, or, just this Monday, when he arrived at the Spanish team’s press conference and headed to the stenographer to shake hands to shake the person who would type up the transcript of the question-and-answer session for reporters.

“ The titles, the numbers, are thereso people probably know that, but the way I want to be remembered is as a good person from a small village in Mallorca,” Nadal said during a tear-filled post-match ceremony at the sold-out Palacio de Deportes Jose Maria. Martin Carpena, where thousands serenaded him with a chorus of “Raaaa-faaa! Raaaa-faaa!”

“Just a kid who followed his dreams,” he said, “and worked as hard as he could.”

No opponent, or any observer for that matter, could ever question his efforts, even as injury after injury made things more difficult, especially over the past two seasons.

No one ever doubted his drive to get better.

“I will really miss seeing him on court,” said Iga Swiatek, a five-time Grand Slam champion and long an unashamed fan of Nadal. “To be honest, he was the only player I saw, so I don’t know if I’ll even watch tennis now. He is a huge source of inspiration.”

That last word, or a variation of it, was used again and again when tributes to Nadal were offered.

This also applied to ‘intensity’ and ‘passion’, ‘perseverance’ and ‘role model’.

“For me,” said Alcaraz, a 21-year-old Spaniard with four major trophies“It is honestly difficult to accept that Rafael Nadal is retiring.”

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Howard Fendrich has been the AP’s tennis writer since 2002. Find his stories here: https://apnews.com/author/howard-fendrich. More AP tennis: