MALAGA, Spain—Rafael Nadal’s relatively low-key retirement ceremony at the Davis Cup was defended by the head of the International Tennis Federation on Sunday as being dictated by the 22-time Grand Slam champion’s wishes.
“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,” ITF President David Haggerty said at a closing news conference at the site of the Billie Jean King Cup and Davis Cup in southern Spain.
