Guided by that ailing body, after so long following his heart, Rafael Nadal this week called time on his playing days and ended a halcyon era for tennis.
The Davis Cup Finals brought the curtain down on one of the most glittering careers the sport has seen. One of the most bruising, too, and the end would have come much sooner if the Mallorcan had not wrestled serious injuries for as long as he did. Nadal, 38, bowed out alongside Carlos Alcaraz, his natural heir.
