As Rafael Nadal prepared to serve in what turned out to be the last tennis match of his career, a woman’s voice broke the silence from the stands: “You make Spain proud!” Not long after that, Nadal was wiping away tears from his face and waving goodbye to his fans.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion, 38, loses to Botic van de Zandschulp of the Netherlands in a Davis Cup quarterfinal. “I achieved more than I ever believed possible,” says Nadal, who announced

With a 2-1 loss to the Netherlands, which included Nadal's first loss in 29 Davis Cup matches, Spain was ousted, ending the indomitable Spaniard's historic court career.