Spain sour with Rafa's "shabby" send-off

Spaniards say Nadal's farewell ceremony was unfitting for its greatest athlete.

Rafa Nadal’s illustrious career came to a bittersweet end at the Davis Cup in Málaga, yet the farewell left many feeling it was an unfitting tribute to Spain’s greatest athlete. 

Nadal’s coach Carlos Moyá described the ceremony as “cutre” (shabby), Galician writer Manuel Jabois said it was “chunga” (cheap), and according to Spain’s Davis Cup captain David Ferrer, it was "descafeinado" (underwhelming, lacking essence and energy). The retirement ceremony, alas, struck an off-note for fans, commentators, and even Nadal’s close circle. 

The public discontent was clear, with a Change.org petition demanding a proper tribute already amassing nearly 13,000 signatures.