Tennis legend Rafael Nadal criticises Malaga send-off: 'It didn't make any sense and wasn't done well'

Rafa Nádal finally spoke out on his send-off in Malaga during the Davis Cup last year.

In a press conference in Paris, on Sunday the retired professional aged 38 said that it was “not done well” and it “didn’t have any sense”.

Nadal’s candid remarks were made at Roland Garros when the 14-time French Open winner was honored on Court Philippe chatrier.

He received a heartfelt goodbye from former rivals including Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, which marked a fitting end to his legendary tennis career.

Nadal stated after the match: “Roland Garros, as well as I, deserved the honor of having it happen here,” in reference to the tribute.

“We have decided to reject everything that has been offered to us up until now, because this tournament deserves the honor of organizing the main tribute.”

Criticism

The much-criticised Malaga event to which Nadal referred took place during the Davis Cup Final 8 at the Martín Carpena arena last November.

The organizers were surprised by Nadal’s surprise defeat of Botic van De Zandschulp, the Netherlands’ player in the first match as well as Spain’s premature exit.

The final match was played at a late hour, and this resulted in a rushed, underwhelming tribute.