The 38-year-old Spaniard announced this event would be it for him as a professional tennis player after two years of injuries that allowed him to compete only sparingly.

Rafael Nadal bit his lower lip and his eyes scanned the stands as he stood alongside his Davis Cup teammates for Spain's national anthem Tuesday before what he — and everyone — knew might be the last match of his career,

The 22-time Grand Slam champion's physical limitations were laid bare in what could be his last appearance as a professional player.