Russia’s tennis player Veronika Kudermetova shed light on Rafael Nadal’s retirement, saying it is always sad to note a player like the Spaniard leaving the sport. 

Nadal always gave his best on the court and fought for every point like his life depended on it. The veteran won a total of 22 Grand Slam titles in his glorious career and never threw a towel on the court.

The Spaniard played his swansong at the Davis Cup but Spain was knocked out by the Netherlands in the quarterfinals. Nadal suffered a 4-6, 4-6 loss against Botic van de Zandschulp in his final game on the tour.

“I read the news about how the farewell ceremony went. It’s sad, of course, that such legends leave the sport. Nadal was an example for us all, not only in sports, in tennis, but also as a person with a capital P. It’s sad that we and the new generation of tennis players will no longer be able to see him play on the court. It’s sad when such worthy people leave the sport!” Veronika Kudermetova said on Championat.

Meanwhile, Nadal was always troubled by multiple injuries in his career but he never gave up and kept training hard to reap rewards at the top level. Nadal’s former coach Toni Nadal shed light on the Spaniard’s career despite the injury hurdles.

“Of course, I saw him suffer. But I got so used to seeing him suffer so many times during his tennis life,” Toni said on ATP Tour.

“Many times he had bad injuries, injuries that looked like they were going to impair him and even prevent him from playing anymore. Because I got so used to that, I wasn’t surprised to see him suffer a bit at the end. The truth is that, even seeing him suffer, I think Rafael can’t complain because life has treated him very well.”