"The feeling we’re all left with is a bit scruffy and shabby": Carlos Moya lament underwhelming farewell for Rafa Nadal

Carlos Moya, Rafael Nadal’s coach, joined the criticism surrounding his pupil’s retirement during the Davis Cup Finals. The 22-time Grand Slam champion played his last professional match on Tuesday in Spain’s quarterfinal defeat to the Netherlands.

Nadal faced Botic van de Zandschulp in the opening singles but lost 4-6, 4-6. Carlos Alcaraz levelled the tie later, leaving the doubles to decide the outcome. Despite being favourites, Spain was eliminated after the Alcaraz/Granollers pair fell to Koolhof/Van de Zandschulp.

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Spain’s early exit marked the end of Nadal’s career, but the lack of key figures like Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic drew attention. Without the presence of these stars, Nadal’s farewell felt “scruffy and shabby,” according to Moya. “It’s not the time to blame anyone... But the feeling we’re all left with is a bit scruffy and shabby. It’s true it was a Tuesday night, but this is sport. It was known months in advance that if Spain lost, Rafa would retire. Nadal is far above all this.”

“I saw Rafa calm. He had accepted that this moment would come,” Moya added. “We’ve known for months that this was going to happen, but we’re still processing it. It’s been a farewell that hasn’t lived up to what Rafa Nadal represents in sport,” he concluded.

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Moya wasn’t alone in his criticism. A day earlier, Davis Cup captain David Ferrer also pointed out how Nadal’s farewell was overshadowed by the absence of his peers Federer and Djokovic. “The farewell to someone as significant as Rafa was watered down. Perhaps some very important people in his tennis career were missing. I missed seeing those individuals who were prominent in his journey.”

“Rafa will have plenty of opportunities to receive tributes at major tournaments like Roland Garros. But it’s true that, on a professional level, his tennis career has ended, and Rafa’s farewell deserved something more,” Ferrer added.