An emotional Rafael Nadal retires at the Davis Cup after he loses and Spain is eliminated

MALAGA, Spain (AP) — Rafael Nadal bit his lower lip and his reddened eyes welled with tears as he stood alongside his Davis Cup teammates for Spain's national anthem Tuesday before what he — and everyone — knew might be the last match of his career.

Hours after Nadal's 6-4, 6-4 loss to Botic van de Zandschulp of the Netherlands was over, the evening did turn out to represent the 22-time Grand Slam champion's farewell to professional tennis, because the Dutch eliminated the Spaniards in the quarterfinals just after midnight.

And it was during an on-court, post-match ceremony to honor Nadal that he cried and cried, at the singsong chorus of “Raaa-faaa” from the spectators, at the video showing highlights from his more than two decades on tour and the collection of recorded tributes from current or former players such as his Big Three rivals Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams, Conchita Martinez and Andy Murray, and stars from other sports such as golf's Sergio Garcia or soccer's David Beckham.

“ The titles, the numbers, are there, so people probably know that, but the way I would like to be remembered is as a good person from a small village in Mallorca,” the 38-year-old Nadal told the flag-waving, sign-toting crowd at the sold-out Palacio de Deportes Jose Maria Martin Carpena. “Just a kid that followed their dreams, worked as hard as possible. ... I have been very lucky.”

He had said beforehand that his feelings would need to be put on hold, that this week was about attempting to claim one last trophy for his country, not about pondering his impending retirement, which he announced last month would come after this event.

But he acknowledged after playing that "the emotions were difficult to manage,” and that he felt nerves out there amid the roars of an adoring audience that mostly showed up for one player and one player only.

After Nadal, a 14-time French Open champion, was beaten on the indoor hard court in southern Spain, he became a cheerleader for his heir apparent, Carlos Alcaraz, who evened the matchup against the Netherlands at 1-all by getting past Tallon Griekspoor 7-6 (0), 6-3 in the other singles match. But then van de Zandschulp and Wesley Koolhof clinched the victory for the Dutch by defeating Alcaraz and Marcel Granollers 7-6 (4), 7-6 (3) in the deciding doubles match.

Even if Spain had managed to get past the Netherlands, Nadal said that if he were his team's captain, he wouldn't pick himself to play again in the semifinals after that performance against the 80th-ranked van de Zandschulp.

At least he was in a joking mood after the result put a stop to his 29-match winning streak in Davis Cup singles. The only other blemish on his record, which stood at 29-1 entering Tuesday, came in his 2004 debut.

“I lost my first match in the Davis Cup, and I lost my last one,” Nadal said with a wide grin. “So we close the circle.”

When a forehand found the net to close his last match, Nadal walked to the net for a quick hug with his opponent.

“That was a tough, tough match to play,” said van de Zandschulp, noting that he idolized Nadal while growing up.

In certain ways, this was, unmistakably, the Nadal that van de Zandschulp — and so many others — can remember. The white headband, marked with the red bull logo Nadal made famous. The white tape wrapped around all four of his left, racket-holding fingers. The water bottles by his sideline bench, placed just so.

There was the occasional ace right on a line. The occasional serve-and-volley foray. The occasional over-the-shoulder putaway. And, yes, the occasional uppercut and scream of “Vamos!” There also were — neither to Nadal’s or most of the 9,200 spectators’ liking — several points where he looked like a once-dominant figure diminished by age and injuries.

Nadal was just not able to bring his best, no matter how many chants of “Ra-fa!” or “España!” or “Si, se puede!” (“Yes, you can!”) broke out, no matter how many scarves reading “Gracias, Rafa!” or red-and-yellow Spanish flags of all sizes filled the arena.

This version of Nadal had hip issues, including surgery in June 2023, and abdominal problems that combined to limit him to only 24 matches over the past two years. He went 12-8 in singles in 2024.

The match against van de Zandschulp — who upset Alcaraz at the U.S. Open — was Nadal’s first outing that counted since early August at the Paris Olympics. He lost there in the second round of singles to Djokovic and bowed out in the doubles quarterfinals alongside Alcaraz.

Nadal and Alcaraz practiced with each other hours before the start of play. The day, much like the entire Davis Cup leadup, was largely about memories of, and praise for, Nadal.

“You know very well what you have meant to the tennis world,” said Spain's captain, David Ferrer, who lost to Nadal in the 2013 French Open final. “We will miss you a lot.”

Nadal’s appeal was found in how he played tennis, relentless and striking each shot as if it might be his last, and the humility he displayed away from competition. No one cared for him as much as his fellow Spaniards. He is a national hero, transcending sports, and that was clear from the love expressed over and over via shouts and standing ovations — when Nadal entered the court, when he won a point, when his match ended, and so on.

“When we heard the news that Rafa was retiring, this really became something special — a chance to see the greatest sportsman in the country’s history,” said Luis Julve, a 19-year-old college student who made the trip from Madrid with his mother and aunt.

When the matches, the ceremony, the night and his career were over, Nadal hugged his teammates and left the court, pausing to waive to goodbye to his fans one last time.

“The truth is that nobody ever wants to arrive at this moment,” Nadal said. “I’m not tired of playing tennis, but it’s my body that doesn’t want to play anymore, so I have to accept the situation. Honestly, I feel super privileged for having been able to make a career out of my hobby, and for having played for much longer than I could ever have imagined."

AP Sports Writer Tales Azzoni contributed to this report.

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

Spain's Rafael Nadal during a tribute after playing his last match as a professional tennis player in the Davis Cup quarterfinals at the Martin Carpena Sports Hall in Malaga, southern Spain, on early Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Spain's Rafael Nadal waves to the crowd during a tribute after playing his last match as a professional tennis player in the Davis Cup quarterfinals at the Martin Carpena Sports Hall in Malaga, southern Spain, on early Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Spain's Rafael Nadal during a tribute after playing his last match as a professional tennis player in the Davis Cup quarterfinals at the Martin Carpena Sports Hall in Malaga, southern Spain, on early Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Spain's Rafael Nadal waves to the crowd during a tribute after playing his last match as a professional tennis player in the Davis Cup quarterfinals at the Martin Carpena Sports Hall in Malaga, southern Spain, on early Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Spain's tennis player Carlos Alcaraz hugs Netherlands' Tallon Griekspoor after a Davis Cup quarterfinal match at Martin Carpena Sports Hall in Malaga, southern Spain, on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Spain's tennis player Rafael Nadal leaves the court after losing against Netherlands' Botic Van De Zandschulp during a Davis Cup quarterfinal match at Martin Carpena Sports Hall in Malaga, southern Spain, on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Spain's tennis player Rafael Nadal waves to the crowd after losing against Netherlands' Botic Van De Zandschulp during a Davis Cup quarterfinal match at Martin Carpena Sports Hall in Malaga, southern Spain, on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

A spectator wrapped with the Spanish flag applauds during the match between Spain's tennis player Rafael Nadal and Netherlands' Botic Van De Zandschulp during a Davis Cup quarterfinal match at Martin Carpena Sports Hall in Malaga, southern Spain, on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Spain's tennis player Rafael Nadal leaves the court after losing against Netherlands' Botic Van De Zandschulp during a Davis Cup quarterfinal match at Martin Carpena Sports Hall in Malaga, southern Spain, on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Spain's tennis player Rafael Nadal waves to the crowd after losing against Netherlands' Botic Van De Zandschulp during a Davis Cup quarterfinal match at Martin Carpena Sports Hall in Malaga, southern Spain, on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Netherlands' Botic Van De Zandschulp returns the ball against Spain's tennis player Rafael Nadal during a Davis Cup quarterfinal match at Martin Carpena Sports Hall in Malaga, southern Spain, on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Spain's tennis player Rafael Nadal embraces after losing against Netherlands' Botic Van De Zandschulp during a Davis Cup quarterfinal match at Martin Carpena Sports Hall in Malaga, southern Spain, on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Spain's tennis player Rafael Nadal embraces David Ferrer, captain of Team Spain, after losing against Netherlands' Botic Van De Zandschulp during a Davis Cup quarterfinal match at Martin Carpena Sports Hall in Malaga, southern Spain, on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Spain's tennis player Rafael Nadal waves to the crowd after losing against Netherlands' Botic Van De Zandschulp during a Davis Cup quarterfinal match at Martin Carpena Sports Hall in Malaga, southern Spain, on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Spain's tennis player Rafael Nadal reacts during a Davis Cup quarterfinal match against Netherlands' Botic Van De Zandschulp at Martin Carpena Sports Hall in Malaga, southern Spain, on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Spain's tennis player Rafael Nadal reacts during a Davis Cup quarterfinal match against Netherlands' Botic Van De Zandschulp at Martin Carpena Sports Hall in Malaga, southern Spain, on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Netherlands' tennis player Botic Van De Zandschulp competes against Spain's Rafael Nadal during a Davis Cup quarterfinal match at Martin Carpena Sports Hall in Malaga, southern Spain, on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Spain's tennis player Rafael Nadal reacts during a Davis Cup quarterfinal match against Netherlands' Botic Van De Zandschulp at Martin Carpena Sports Hall in Malaga, southern Spain, on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Spain's tennis player Rafael Nadal competes against Netherlands' Botic Van De Zandschulp during a Davis Cup quarterfinal match at Martin Carpena Sports Hall in Malaga, southern Spain, on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

WASHINGTON (AP) — For two weeks, Donald Trump has welcomed Elon Musk into his world. On Tuesday, it was Musk’s turn to play host to the president-elect.

Trump flew to South Texas to watch as Musk’s SpaceX launched a Starship rocket near the Mexican border. Trump listened intently as the world’s richest man explained how the test would work and demonstrated with a model. And then Trump squinted into the bright sky to watch liftoff.

It didn’t go perfectly -– the reusable booster did not return to the launch pad as it had done on a previous test last month. Instead, the booster was directed to a splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico.

But Trump’s presence at the launch was a remarkable display of intimacy between the two men, one with implications for American politics, the government, foreign policy and even the possibility of humans reaching Mars.

Musk spent around $200 million to help Trump beat Democrat Kamala Harris in the presidential race, and he's been given unparalleled access. He's counseled Trump on nominees for the new administration, joined the president-elect's phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and been tapped to co-chair an advisory panel on cutting the size of the federal bureaucracy.

In addition to political influence, Musk could benefit personally as well. SpaceX, his rocket company, has billions of dollars in government contracts and the goal of eventually starting a colony on Mars. He's also CEO of Tesla, which manufactures electric vehicles, and has battled with regulators over safety concerns involving autonomous driving.

“Trump has the biggest possible regard for people who break the rules and get away with it," said William Galston, a senior fellow in governance studies at the Brookings Institution, a Washington-based think tank. "Musk has demonstrated extraordinary accomplishment in doing that.”

To top if off, Musk owns the social media company X, formally known as Twitter, which he has harnessed as an influential perch to promote Trump and his agenda.

“Stop the Swamp!” he wrote Tuesday as he shared a warning that entrenched Washington interests are trying to undermine Trump before his inauguration.

Before the election, Musk rejected the idea that he was expecting any favors in return for supporting Trump in the presidential race.

“There is no quid pro quo,” he posted on X in September. “With a Trump administration, we can execute major government reform, remove bureaucratic paperwork that is smothering the country and unlock a new age of prosperity.”

However, Trump has hardly gone anywhere without Musk in the two weeks since beating Harris. Musk joined Trump at a meeting with House Republicans in Washington and sat next to him at an Ultimate Fighting Championship match in New York. The trip to Texas for the rocket launch was just Trump's third time outside Florida since the election.

As Trump's protective motorcade left the launch site Tuesday evening to return to the airport, one of Musk's angular, shiny Tesla Cybertrucks was tucked in the middle of the formation of black SUVs.

Much of Trump's activity is happening with little public access for the press. Unlike his predecessors, he has opted against regularly making his travel plans or events open to journalists.

The relationship between Trump and Musk was not always so close.

Two years ago, Trump was mocking Musk in stump speeches and Musk was saying it was time for Trump to “hang up his hat & sail into the sunset.”

“Trump would be 82 at end of term, which is too old to be chief executive of anything, let alone the United States of America,” Musk wrote on social media.

But Musk swiftly endorsed Trump after the former president survived an assassination attempt in July. He quickly became a central figure in Trump’s orbit, appearing at times more like his running mate than Ohio Sen. JD Vance.

Trump started boasting about Musk's accomplishments at campaign rallies, such as when Starship's reusable rocket booster returned to the launch tower on a previous occasion and was caught by mechanical arms.

“Those arms grab it like you grab your baby, just like you grab your little baby. And it hugged it and just put it down, and there it was,” Trump said.

Musk was with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort on election night and has spent much of the two weeks since there. Trump’s granddaughter Kai Trump posted a photo of her with Musk at one of Trump’s golf resorts, writing that Musk was "achieving uncle status.”

Last week, Musk appeared in a golden ballroom at Mar-a-Lago, seated in the center of the room as a guest of honor at an event. Trump, in his remarks at the black tie event, said Musk’s IQ is “about as high as they can get” and praised him as “a really good guy.”

“He launched a rocket three weeks ago and then he went to Pennsylvania to campaign because he considered this more important than launching rockets that cost billions of dollars,” Trump said.

He joked about Musk’s constant presence at Mar-a-Lago, saying: “He likes this place. I can’t get him out of here."

He added, “And you know what, I like having him here.”

Musk said of the election results, “The public has given us a mandate that could not be more clear."

Price reported from New York.

President-elect Donald Trump watches the launch of the sixth test flight of the SpaceX Starship rocket Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024, in Boca Chica, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Pool via AP)

President-elect Donald Trump listens to Elon Musk at the launch of the sixth test flight of the SpaceX Starship rocket Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024 in Boca Chica, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Pool via AP)

President-elect Donald Trump listens as Elon Musk explains the operations ahead of the launch of the sixth test flight of the SpaceX Starship rocket Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024 in Boca Chica, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Pool via AP)

SpaceX's mega rocket Starship is prepared for an afternoon test flight from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

President-elect Donald Trump listens as Elon Musk explains the operations ahead of the launch of the sixth test flight of the SpaceX Starship rocket Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024 in Brownsville, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Pool via AP)

President-elect Donald Trump greets Elon Musk before the launch of the sixth test flight of the SpaceX Starship rocket Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024 in Brownsville, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Pool via AP)

President-elect Donald Trump greets Elon Musk before the launch of the sixth test flight of the SpaceX Starship rocket Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024 in Brownsville, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Pool via AP)

President-elect Donald Trump poses for a photo with Dana White, Kid Rock and Elon Musk at UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Dana White, President-elect Donald Trump, Elon Musk and Kid Rock attend UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President-elect Donald Trump looks on with Elon Musk, right, at a UFC 309 mixed martial arts flyweight title bout, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)