Rafael Nadal's legacy is a relentlessness that inspired Carlos Alcaraz and plenty of others

MALAGA, Spain (AP) -- Rafael Nadal's retirement from tennis serves as a reminder that for all of his Grand Slam titles and other successes, his greatest legacy might be the qualities that inspired Carlos Alcaraz, Iga Swiatek and other younger players. Nadal couldn't take a step around the grounds of the Davis Cup Final 8 in recent days without hearing requests for a handshake or a selfie from other athletes. He is walking away at age 38 after a litany of injuries. Nadal lost the last match of his career on Tuesday while Spain was eliminated by the Netherlands in the team competition's quarterfinals.

kAm|2F: x?G:E2E:@?2= C6EFC?D E@ 2 {292:?2 DE:== 8C2AA=:?8 H:E9 C2H 6>@E:@?D =67E 3J 5625=J H:=57:C6k^Am kAmw~}~{&{& Wp!X -- #6D:56?ED @7 E96 w2H2:: E@H? 56G2DE2E65 3J =2DE J62CVD H:=57:C6 2C6 2H2:E:?8 E96 C6EFC? @7 @?6 @7 E96 ?2E:@?VD >@DE AC6DE:8:@FD 32D<6E32== E@FC?2>6?ED H:E9 >:I65 766=:?8D] u2?D 2C6 6I4:E65 23@FE E96 |2F: x?G:E2E:@?2= 3C:?8:?8 9:89\42=:36C 4@>A6E:E:@? E@ {292:?2] p?5 E96J H6=4@>6 E96 64@?@>:4 3@@DE {292:?2 H:== 86E 7C@> E96 E9@FD2?5D @7 EC2G6=6CD 62E:?8 :? C6DE2FC2?ED 2?5 DE2J:?8 :? 9@E6=D] qFE E96C6'D 2=D@ 2 762C E92E EC2G6=6CD >:89E D9@H 5:DC6DA64E 3J H2?56C:?8 :?E@ E96 3FC? K@?6 2?5 E2<:?8 A9@E@D @7 E96 56G2DE2E:@?] p?5 E96C6 :D H@CCJ E@FC:DED >:89E EC:886C F?A=62D2?E >6>@C:6D H:E9 BF6DE:@?D 23@FE E92E 42E2DEC@A9:4 52J] #6D:56?ED D2J 766=:?8D 2C6 DE:== C2H]k^AmkAmuC655:6 uC66>2?VD 9:DE@C:4 H2=<\@77 8C2?5 D=2> 32== 7C@> E96 (@C=5 $6C:6D E@ 9:E E96 2F4E:@? 3=@4<k^AmkAm{pv&}p }xv&t{[ r2=:7] Wp!X -- uC655:6 uC66>2?'D 9:DE@C:4 H2=<\@77 8C2?5 D=2> 32== 7C@> v2>6 ' @7 E96 (@C=5 $6C:6D :D 9:EE:?8 E96 2F4E:@? 3=@4<] %96 {@D p?86=6D s@586CD 7:CDE 32D6>2? 9@>6C65 :? E96 '_E9 :??:?8 282:?DE E96 }6H *@C< *2?<66D =2DE >@?E9[ 8:G:?8 E96 s@586CD 2 e\b G:4E@CJ] %96J H6?E @? E@ H:? E96 $6C:6D :? 7:G6 82>6D 2?5 uC66>2? H2D ?2>65 |'!] p '_\J62C\@=5 3@J ?2>65 +2492CJ #F56C>2? 4@CC2==65 E96 32== :? E96 DE2?5D] xE H:== 36 A2CE @7 2 D2=6 CF? 3J $r! pF4E:@?D 7C@> s64] c\'c] r@>A2?J AC6D:56?E s2G:5 z@9=6C D2JD 96 36=:6G6D E96 uC66>2? 32== :D "62D:=J H@CE9 D6G6? 7:8FC6D]"k^AmkAmv2==2F56E H@>6?VD G@==6J32== E62> :D D:8?:?8[ BF:6E=J H:??:?8 2?5 C@==:?8 :?E@ E96 }rpp %@FC?2>6?Ek^AmkAm(p$wx}v%~} Wp!X -- $@>6E:>6D @AA@?6?ED E9:?< A=2J6CD @? v2==2F56E'D H@>6?'D G@==6J32== E62> 2C6 ECJ:?8 E@ 5:DEC24E E96> 3J FD:?8 E96:C 92?5D 2?5 2C>D E@ E2=< :? p>6C:42? $:8? {2?8F286] %96J'C6 92AAJ E@ =6E E96> E9:?< E92E 3642FD6 E96 E62> >256 FA 2=>@DE 6?E:C6=J @7 5627 2?5 92C5 @7 962C:?8 2E9=6E6D :D b_\c E9:D D62D@?] v2==2F56E :D 324< :? E96 }rpp s:G:D:@? xxx %@FC?2>6?E[ DF44665:?8 :? D:=6?46 :? 2 DA@CE FDF2==J AC65:42E65 @? G6C32= 4@>>F?:42E:@?] p G:4E@CJ H@F=5 36 E96 AC@8C2>VD 7:CDE :? E96 E@FC?2>6?E D:?46 a__e]k^AmkAmr6=E:4D 6?5 r2G2=:6CDV 'd\_ DE2CE E@ E96 D62D@? :? }qp rFA >2E49FAk^AmkAmq~$%~} Wp!X -- %96 DEC62<:?8 r=6G6=2?5 r2G2=:6CD E6DE65 E96>D6=G6D 282:?DE E96 5676?5:?8 }qp 492>A:@? q@DE@? r6=E:4D 2?5 42>6 2H2J H:E9 2 =@DD -- 2?5 2 =@E E@ H@C< @?] %96 r6=E:4D H@? 'a_\''f @? %F6D52J ?:89E E@ D?2A E96 r2G2=:6CDV 'd\82>6 H:??:?8 DEC62< 2?5 6?5 E96:C A6C764E D62D@?] %96 r2GD D2:5 E96 DEC62< H2D 7F? H9:=6 :E =2DE65 3FE E96J <?@H E92E 492>A:@?D9:AD 2C6?VE H@? :? }@G6>36C] p?5 E96JV== E2<6 H92E E96J =62C?65 7C@> E9:D 82>6 2?5 D@ E96J 42? :>AC@G6 367@C6 E96J >66E q@DE@? 282:? :? EH@ H66<D]k^Am kAm{2<6CDV s2=E@? z?649E E:6D }qp C@@<:6 C64@C5 7@C b\A@:?E6CD :? 2 82>6k^AmkAm{~$ p}vt{t$ Wp!X -- s2=E@? z?649E 4@F=5 @?=J D9CF8 H96? 96 3FC:65 9:D 7@FCE9 4@?D64FE:G6 b\A@:?E6C 2?5 D6?E E96 {@D p?86=6D {2<6CD' 6?E:C6 2C6?2 :?E@ 2 7C6?KJ] %92E H2D 2 G6CJ DA64:7:4 D9CF8 7C@> E96 {2<6CD C@@<:6[ 9@H6G6C] xE H2D E96 @?6 >256 72>@FD 3J |:4926= y@C52? :? E96 'hha }qp u:?2=D 27E6C 2 =686?52CJ b\A@:?E 7=FCCJ] p D9CF8 :D 2=D@ E96 :?4C62D:?8=J 244FC2E6 C6DA@?D6 E@ E96 BF6DE:@? >2?J }qp 72?D H6C6 2D<:?8 27E6C z?649E'D bf\A@:?E 32CC286 %F6D52J ?:89Ei yFDE 9@H 5:5 E9:D D9@@E6C 72== E@ E96 {2<6CD H:E9 E96 'fE9 A:4< :? =2DE DF>>6C'D 5C27Enk^AmkAm&?C:G2=65 2??@F?46D :ED D:I E62>D H:E9 EH@ DA@ED DE:== @A6? 2D H:=5 42C5Dk^AmkAm&?C:G2=65 7:?2==J 92D :ED E62>D D6E] %96 =628F6 5:G:565 E96 A=2J6CD :?E@ D:I A@5D @7 H:?8D[ 8F2C5D 2?5 7@CH2C5D] %96 D:I 4@2496D E96? AFE E96 ?2>6D @? 2 3@2C5 2?5 5C27E65 E62>D H:E9 E96 >2:? :562 36:?8 E92E E96 DBF25D H@F=5 36 2D 6BF2= 2D A@DD:3=6] %96 EH:DE H2D E92E ?@?6 @7 E96 4@2496D <?6H H9:49 E62> E96J H@F=5 36 4@249:?8 F?E:= 27E6C E96 DBF25D 7@C E96 b\@?\b =628F6 H6C6 >256] %96 =628F6 92D @?=J 2??@F?465 bc @7 E96 be A=2J6CD @? E96 E62>[ 2==@H:?8 7@C EH@ >@C6 A=2J6C D:8?:?8D] &?C:G2=65 92D 366? :? E2=<D H:E9 (}qp #@@<:6 @7 E96 *62C r2:E=:? r=2C<]k^AmkAm%96 3F?8=:?8 q6?82=D 2C6 H2DE:?8 AC@=:7:4 D62D@?D 7C@> E96:C 3:886DE DE2CDk^AmkAm%96 DE2CD 7@C E96 r:?4:??2E: q6?82=D 2C6 A6C7@C>:?8 2E 2? 6IEC6>6=J 9:89 =6G6=] y@6 qFCC@H =625D E96 }u{ :? J2C5D A2DD:?8 2?5 %s A2DD6D[ y2'|2CC r92D6 :D @? A246 7@C 2 C2C6 C646:G:?8 EC:A=6 4C@H?[ 2?5 %C6J w6?5C:4<D@? 92D >@C6 D24<D E92? 2?J @E96C A=2J6C] $@F?5D =:<6 2 C64:A6 7@C DF446DD] &?7@CEF?2E6=J 7@C E96 q6?82=D[ :E 92D?'E H@C<65 @FE E92E H2J D@ 72C] r:?4:??2E: :D >:C65 :? '_E9 A=246 :? E96 pur 56DA:E6 92G:?8 2 492?46 E@ 364@>6 E96 7:CDE E62> E@ 92G6 E96 =628F6 =6256C :? J2C5D A2DD:?8[ J2C5D C646:G:?8 2?5 D24<D :? E96 D2>6 D62D@?]k^AmkAmr2A:E2=D AFE p=6I ~G649<:? @? :?;FC65 C6D6CG6[ CF=:?8 9:> @FE 2E =62DE 2 H66<k^AmkAmp#{x}v%~}[ '2] Wp!X -- %96 (2D9:?8E@? r2A:E2=D AFE p=6I ~G649<:? @? :?;FC65 C6D6CG6 2?5 C642==65 76==@H #FDD:2? H:?86C xG2? |:C@D9?:496?<@ 7C@> E96 >:?@CD] ~G649<:? :D 4@?D:56C65 H66<\E@\H66< H:E9 2 =@H6C =67E =68 :?;FCJ] v@:?8 @? x# CF=6D @FE ~G649<:? 7@C 2E =62DE E96 ?6IE E9C66 82>6D] qFE E96 bh\J62C\@=5 :D 6IA64E65 E@ >:DD D:8?:7:42?E=J >@C6 E:>6 27E6C 9:D D9:?\@?\D9:? 4@==:D:@? H:E9 &E29VD y24< |4q2:? @? |@?52J ?:89E] ~G649<:?VD 23D6?46 D=@HD 9:D AFCDF:E @7 (2J?6 vC6EK<JVD }w{ 42C66C 8@2=D C64@C5] w6VD af 324< @7 A2DD:?8 vC6EK<J 27E6C D4@C:?8 'd E:>6D :? 9:D 7:CDE 'g 82>6D E9:D D62D@?]k^AmkAmu=@C:52 $E2E6 :D =@D:?8 C64CF:ED 2E ?62C=J E96 D2>6 A246 E92E :EVD =@D:?8 82>6D :? a_ack^AmkAm%p{{pwp$$tt[ u=2] Wp!X -- u=@C:52 $E2E6VD 4FCC6?E C64CF:E:?8 4=2DD :D D92A:?8 FA E@ 36 2D >F49 @7 2 56324=6 2D 2?JE9:?8 E92E'D 92AA6?65 @? E96 7:6=5 7@C E96 $6>:?@=6D @G6C E96 A2DE E9C66 >@?E9D] u$& W'\hX 92D =@DE ?62C=J 2D >2?J C64CF:ED 2D 82>6D] xE D9@HD 9@H BF:4<=J E9:?8D 42? EFC? :? 4@==686 7@@E32==] r@249 |:<6 }@CG6== DA6?E J62CD D=@H=J C63F:=5:?8 2?5 E96? DF556?=J EFC?65 E96 $6>:?@=6D :?E@ 2 492>A:@?D9:A 4@?E6?56C =2DE D62D@?] w:D =@?8\E6C> A=2? :?4=F565 255:?8 E2=6?E65 EC2?D76CD[ H:??:?8 82>6D 2?5 86EE:?8 E96 AC@8C2> :? A@D:E:@? E@ D:8? >2?J @7 E96 DE2E6'D E@A A=2J6CD] xEVD 4=62C=J @77 EC24< 8:G6? 9@H >2?J 8FJD 92G6 32:=65 @? }@CG6== :? C646?E H66<D]k^Am