Botic van de Zandschulp shared his emotions after defeating Rafael Nadal in the Davis Cup, acknowledging the historic weight of the match. The Dutch player overcame the Spanish legend 6-4, 6-4 in what turned out to be Nadal’s final professional singles match.
Van de Zandschulp described the encounter as a “really special event,” noting the charged atmosphere of playing against Nadal in Spain. “That’s what it is to play here in Spain against Rafa. It was a really special event,” he said.
The significance of potentially being Nadal’s last opponent added to the challenge. “It’s tough to close out a match against him, knowing it could be his last (match) or not,” he admitted.
Despite the pressure, van de Zandschulp maintained focus in the crucial moments. “I was hoping a bit more than going for it, so I just went for it, and that did help in the end,” he said, reflecting on his ability to capitalize when it mattered most.
An emotional victory 🥲
Botic van de Zandschulp talks about what it was like playing Rafael Nadal in what could potentially be his final match ❤️ #DavisCup pic.twitter.com/B1oxiNQiQ9
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) November 19, 2024
The victory marked a milestone in van de Zandschulp’s career, and the occasion will remain a cherished memory in the Dutchman’s journey.
Botic Van De Zandschulp in 2024
LWWLLWWWLL Ranked no.80, the Dutch played his last match on the 19th of November when he defeated world no.154 Rafael Nadal 6-4 6-4 in the Rubber 1 of the Davis Cup (draw).
This year Van De Zandschulp has managed to achieve a compiled 32-32 match record. Botic Van De Zandschulp’s most significant result of the current year was reaching the final in the Braunschweig Challenger and the Luedenscheid Challenger.
Botic Van De Zandschulp will face the world no.25 Tomas Machac in the final on Sunday at 2:00 pm on CENTER COURT. Their actual head to head record is 3-2 for Van De Zandschulp.
Van De Zandschulp was the runner-up in the Braunschweig Challenger and in the Luedenscheid Challenger.
