Quiet man from Mallorca didn’t stop the clock on his ageing body but what a life, what a career – truly tennis’s ‘real thing’

Elite sport is that peculiar amalgam of ritual, repetition, ingrained twitches, drilled skill, known strengths and feared limits. But it matters not a jot without passion – and sometimes even that is not enough.

At 38 and in reasonable if not optimum shape, Rafael Nadal brought all of those elements together in Málaga on Tuesday night as best he could, but not with enough conviction to seal his farewell with a win. He took defeat in his last match with as much dignity as victory in his first, aged 15. But he lost. And it hurt. He would not have wanted it any other way.