“I lost my first match in the Davis Cup, and I lost my last one. So we close the circle,” said an emotional Rafael Nadal after his career’s last match in Malaga, a week ago. The post-match rituals saw the 22-time Grand Slam champion witnessing his glorious moments through various video clips. Also, legends like Roger Federer, Serena Williams, Novak Djoković, and Andy Murray sent heartwarming messages for the ‘King of Clay’. However, the overall ceremony didn’t live up to expectations, according to many avid fans. Following a heated backlash in the last one week, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) President has shared a much-needed clarity.

Going by an official statement, the farewell ceremony was all done as per Rafael Nadal’s wish. “Rafa is an amazing player and has a legacy of tennis that he will leave behind, inspiring millions of players around the world to play tennis, to continue to play. We felt it was very important to listen to what Rafa wanted and how he wanted to be celebrated. That’s exactly what we did,“ said ITF President David Haggerty during an official conference at the venue of Billie Jean King Cup and Davis Cup in Spain.

He mentioned that it’s okay for people to have varying opinions on the ceremony. But for him and his team, “the most important thing was we delivered a ceremony that was what Rafa wanted—and, being who he is, was a great evening, and it was much appreciated,” further added Mr. Haggerty, as reported by Tennis website, dated November 25th.

For those unaware, renowned figures like Nadal’s ex-coach and former World No.1, Carlos Moya, didn’t like the tribute ceremony. According to him, it was “shabby” and “clumsy”. “It is true that it was a Tuesday night, but they were months in advance and it was known that if Spain lost, Rafa would retire. Nadal is very little on top of all this,” said Maya in a November 22nd interview with Onda Cero.

Similarly, Nadal’s compatriot David Ferrer also expressed his unfiltered thoughts. “The farewell was done with the best of intentions, but it was after losing and in a hurry… it was a bit sad,” he said while speaking to El Partidazo de Cope, five days back. There were a few other notable names, too, who felt the ceremony was underwhelming.

Uncle Toni Nadal reveals unhappiness over Rafael Nadal’s farewell ceremony

Nadal’s last match saw him losing to the Netherlands’ Botic Van de Zandschulp. Contrary to expectations, the latter proved too good to be a formidable opponent for Rafa. Botic took the match 6-4, 6-4 in straight sets. Reflecting on the match, especially the farewell, his uncle, and also ex-coach, Toni Nadal didn’t mince words.

When asked whether he liked the presentation, he said, “No”. Continuing further, he added, “It was moving, of course, with the support of the public, but it would have had another dimension with images.” Per him, more images from Nadal’s shining career should have been included in the ceremony. “I like to see images in these events. I would have liked to see images of Rafael winning the Davis Cup in Seville, of Rafael at the Madrid tournament, at Roland Garros or Wimbledon, because this creates more emotion,” he said.

To put it simply, Toni felt that an emotional impact was inevitably missing. Per him, it’s more convenient nowadays to just mix music with images in order to spark emotions. However, “Rafael is a person whose images convey passion and emotion. If they had done this, it would have been more fitting,” he concluded. Do you also believe that Nadal deserved a better farewell? Or do you have a different perspective on this entire matter? Let us know in the comments below.