“He didn’t need pomp and ceremony”: Rafael Nadal’s farewell ceremony sparks comparisons with Steffi Graf’s quiet exit

Former Serena Williams’ coach Rennae Stubbs likened Rafael Nadal’s personality to that of tennis legend Steffi Graf following a subdued farewell ceremony marking the Spaniard’s retirement at the recent Davis Cup Finals.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion had struggled with injuries in his final years on tour. Nadal played his last professional match against the Netherlands’ Botic van de Zandschulp, losing in straight sets.

“It was enough for Rafa"

After Rafa’s defeat, Spain’s hopes of advancing in the Davis Cup and extending the former World No. 1’s career rested on Carlos Alcaraz. Despite Alcaraz defeating Tallon Griekspoor in straight sets, the Spanish doubles team of Alcaraz and Marcel Granollers fell to Van de Zandschulp and Wesley Koolhof, sealing the Netherlands’ victory and Nadal’s retirement.

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Following the series, a brief 10-minute farewell ceremony was held for Nadal. However, it lacked the presence of high-profile colleagues such as Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, who participated only through pre-recorded video tributes.

The 14-time Roland Garros champion bid farewell through tears, expressing heartfelt gratitude to his fans. However, the simplicity of the ceremony drew criticism from figures like Nadal’s coach Carlos Moyá and Spain’s Davis Cup captain David Ferrer, who lamented the absence of Federer and Djokovic at the event.

Rafa Nadal at 2024 Davis Cup Finals.

"It’s like Steffi. It’s interesting because Steffi just dropped the mic and walked away because she was hurting,” commented Rennae Stubbs on her podcast. “Her body was hurting, her knee was hurting, her foot was hurting, her back was hurting. She was in love. She’d just met Andre, and they were dating, but she was different so she just stopped.'"

"She just walked away, but she’s very different to these personalities. She didn’t love the spotlight, she just loved playing. I think Rafa is more similar to Steffi than Roger or Novak or Andy,” she added.

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"Even the way he retired, just the whole circumstances around it, it was more about playing at home, being with his family, there was no other players there. There was just his teammates and it was kind of low-key and it was kind of like for Rafa that was enough."

"For Steffi it was like, 'Yeah, I don’t need all that pomp and ceremony.' The first thing I said to her when she told me she was retiring, I was like,'Wait what? The US Open is in like three weeks. Why don’t you do it there?' And she’s like, 'Nah, I’m good.'"