Rafael Nadal’s coaches believe his retirement ceremony wasn’t up to par (Image: Getty)
Another one of ’s mentors has slammed the Davis Cup for their “shabby” retirement ceremony.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion ended his career at the team tournament, representing Spain for the final time and being
But Nadal’s coach Carlos Moya has now ripped into organisers’ attempts at honouring his charge. And his team aren’t pulling any punches – Spain’s captain David Ferrer and Nadal’s ex-coach and
Nadal officially retired at the Davis Cup Finals on Tuesday after Spain suffered defeat in their knockout quarter-final against the the Netherlands. The 38-year-old
But pulled one back for Spain, to take it down to the doubles, where the Dutch team came out on top. It and organisers honoured him with a ceremony.
The former world No. 1 got to address the crowd and his loved ones before Ferrer took the microphone. A tribute video showing highlights of Nadal’s career and messages from his colleagues was also played.
But Nadal’s mentors weren’t satisfied by the presentation. His coach, 1998 French Open Moya, has now blasted the tournament’s attempts to honour his charge.
“The feeling we are all left with is that the farewell was a bit scruffy and shabby,” Nadal’s coach of seven years told .
Rafael Nadal’s coach Carlos Moya said the ceremony was ‘shabby’ (Image: Getty)
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“It’s true that it’s a Tuesday night, but this is sport and we knew months in advance that if Spain lost, Rafa would retire. Nadal is far above all this.”
Moya isn’t the only one who has aired his grievances with the efforts to pay tribute to Nadal. Spain’s team captain Ferrer
He told El Partidazo de Cope: “The farewell of someone as important as Rafa was watered down. Perhaps some very important people in his tennis career were missing, and people who have been as important as his rivals as he was to the team, who were perhaps not mentioned enough.
“I missed his people having a leading role. Things are what they are and you have to accept them. “
There have been reports that Davis Cup Finals organisers thought Spain would have gotten further in the competition and expected to hold the ceremony later in the week.
Had they reached the semi-final, the team would’ve been in action in Friday while the final is set for Sunday.
previously for Nadal’s farewell. But he wasn’t planning to travel to Malaga until the weekend and missed the presentation. had also but didn’t make it on Tuesday.
Nadal’s uncle Toni, who coached him until the end of 2017 and had to skip his nephew’s retirement due to work commitments, was asked whether he thought it was a fitting goodbye.
“No,” he told El Larguero de la SER. Explaining his issue with the Davis Cup farewell, he added: “I don’t mean to criticise anyone.
“I would have liked something different, on the level of his career. As a family member and as Rafael’s former coach, I appreciate the detail they had and the good intention. Afterwards, well, I would have liked something else.”