While the rest of the world views 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal as one of the best, if not the best singles superstar tennis has ever seen, India’s very own doubles legend Mahesh Bhupathi takes it a notch further, claiming that the Spanish ace could have also been the “world’s best doubles player had he pursued this aspect seriously.”

‘Difficult last two years’

Nadal, 38, announced to the world via social media on Thursday that he would be hanging up his racquet after the Davis Cup finals in November. “I’m retiring from professional tennis. The reality is that it has been some difficult years, these last two especially. It is obviously a difficult decision, one that has taken me some time to make. But in this life, everything has a beginning and an end,” a sombre-looking Nadal said in a video posted to his almost 40 million-strong social media following, most of whom reacted with sadness.