Tennis fans lash out over 'disrespectful' act that ruined Rafa Nadal's retirement speech

Rafa Nadal said he has left both a sporting and personal legacy after retiring from professional tennis at the Davis Cup on Wednesday. But many fans didn't get to hear him say it live as American commentators inexplicably spoke through his farewell speech.

The Tennis Channel has the exclusive rights to the Davis Cup Finals in the United States but their coverage left viewers speechless for all the wrong reasons. Their analysts bizarrely chose to speak about Nadal's legacy while the Spanish great thanked his fans and bid farewell to the sport.

Nadal's career came to a heartbreaking end after Spain's decision to play him in the singles brutally backfired. The retiring legend went down 6-4 6-4 to Botic van de Zandschulp in the opening singles rubber, before the Netherlands completed a 2-1 victory in the deciding doubles match.

Spanish captain David Ferrer had considered playing Nadal solely in the doubles, in what was the final event of the 38-year-old's storied career. But he opted to instead give the Spanish great the challenge of winning the opening singles rubber. However, it didn't pay off as Nadal looked a shadow of himself, battling to move around the court as he was comfortably dispatched by the Dutchman.

The loss ended Nadal's 29-match winning streak in Davis Cup singles, dating all the way back to 2004. His last loss in the tournament came on his debut against Jiri Novak of the Czech Republic, and before Tuesday night he'd incredibly won 29 games in a row.

After Nadal's crushing lossm Carlos Alcaraz drew Spain level at 1-1 with a 7-6 (0) 6-3 win over Tallon Griekspoor. But he couldn't complete the victory in the doubles, as Van de Zandschulp and Wesley Koolhof beat him and Marcel Granollers-Pujol 7-6 (4) 7-6 (3).

Nadal watched on from court-side as the doubles loss saw the curtain draw on his storied career. The 38-year-old then took to the stage to give one final speech but many international viewers didn't hear what he had to say.

That's because Tennis Channel commentators Paul Annacone, Sam Querrey and Mark Knowles, all Americans who have lined up for the US in the Davis Cup previously, chose to instead dissect the historic moment in their own words. The decision left viewers furious as instead of hearing the World No.1's speech they heard the American trio give their input.

Former tennis star and respected commentator Rennae Stubbs took to X to write: "Tennis Channel I am livid". While a disgruntled tennis fan wrote: "This is absolutely ridiculous, selfish and frustrating".

Rafa Nadal happy with his legacy as he retires from tennis

Nadal said he has left both a sporting and personal legacy after retiring from professional tennis. The 22-time Grand Slam winner, who won an astonishing 14 French Opens, enjoyed an incredible career spanning more than two decades, and it is one the Spaniard is proud of.

"I leave with the peace of mind that I have left a legacy, which I really feel is not just a sporting one but a personal one,” Nadal told fans in Malaga in a speech during a ceremony to honour his retirement. "I understand that the love I have received, if it was just for what happened on the court, would not be the same.” Nadal paid credit to all the people who helped him live out his dream, including his uncle Toni Nadal, who coached the Spaniard as a child and for a large chunk of his tennis career.

"The titles, the numbers are there, so people probably know that, but the way that I would like to be remembered more is like a good person, from a small village in Mallorca," continued Nadal.

"I had the luck that I had my uncle that was a tennis coach in my village when I was a very, very small kid, and a great family that supports me in every moment. I just want to be remembered as a good person, a kid that followed their dreams and achieved (even) more than what I had dreamt."