Rafael Nadal “proved us all wrong” with his longevity and versatility, according to Eurosport’s Barbara Schett, after the Spaniard announced he would call time on his glittering career.

“I didn’t shed any tears yesterday when I found out, but I was sad. I felt it,” Schett said.

“In Austria there is a saying: you have a big double in your stomach when you don’t feel well. And that’s what I felt, that pressure that this was it. I’ll never watch his matches again. I will never see him compete like he has.

“Those 20 years of touring are unforgettable, and he proved us all wrong, I think.

“Most people would have said at the start of his career that it wouldn’t last that long. He will never win 22 Grand Slam titles.

“He’s just a clay court player, and he’s proven that he’s not. In the end he was also a very good grass court player. It’s sad, but life goes on.

“He didn’t think he would have such a long career. I don’t think we can take for granted what we’ve seen from him over the last twenty years. I’m sure he doesn’t.”

The 22-time Grand Slam champion has led Spain to four Davis Cup victories, beating then world number 2 Andy Roddick in the 2004 final and announcing himself on the world stage.

And having been a ball boy in the league before turning pro, Schett believes a home tournament will be the perfect swan song.

Schett said: “It couldn’t be a better time for him to retire as a Davis Cup player in Malaga at home in Spain. I’m sure it’s going to be huge. They’re going to put on a big show. He probably doesn’t even want that.

‘He’s going to have that big farewell ceremony. But I think he’s happy with everything.

‘He doesn’t need the big scene. He has no need for the big spectacle that surrounds him. I think he feels comfortable and knows exactly what he has done in his career.

“He doesn’t need bells ringing everywhere.”

And Schett knows better than most about Nadal’s humility, insisting that despite all he has achieved, he would still be ‘down to earth’.

“Rafa Nadal has the right values ​​in life,” Schett said. “If he had won 40 Grand Slam titles, if he hadn’t won any, he would still have been the same person.

‘He’s just nice. He has respect for everyone. And I personally remember him getting out of the way from twenty yards away and saying, “Hi, Barbara, how are you?” And he doesn’t have to do that.

“He could probably buy a whole city. He is a very rich man, but he is down to earth. He has empathy with people, how they feel and how they are. That’s what I really appreciate.

“He just had so much love for the sport and he definitely got the best out of himself. When he is 80 and sitting on the couch in Mallorca, he will not regret it.”