Rafael Nadal was visibly emotional and had tears in his eyes as he bid farewell to the world of professional tennis on Tuesday. The 22-time Grand Slam champion was given a standing ovation after his 6-4, 6-4 loss to the Netherlands' Botic van de Zandschulp, and the crowd chanted his name in unison as they marked the end of his last tournament. “The way that I would like to be remembered more is like a good person from a small village in Majorca where I had the luck to have my uncle as a tennis coach,” Nadal told the crowd during a special presentation. “I had a great family who supported me in every moment. I was a kid who followed their dreams, worked as hard as possible to be where I am today. At the end of the day, a lot of people try their best every single day, but I’m very lucky to have the life I have to live because of tennis,” he added.
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