Nadal, who had been watching from the bench along with the rest of the Spanish team, jumped onto the court to console Alcaraz and Granollers.
Both looked distraught as they sat with their heads bowed, listening to the victorious Dutch players celebrating reaching the semi-finals.
Many remained in the 11,500-seat Palacio de Deportes arena, chanting “Rafa, Rafa, Rafa” one last time as they waited for Koolhof and Van de Zandschulp to finish a post-match interview.
When Nadal's moment to take center stage came, he received another standing ovation and applause that lasted more than a minute.
Nadal's family, including his wife Mery, his young son Rafael Jr., parents Ana Maria and Sebastian and his sister Maribel, were present in the stands.
Longtime members of his backroom team wore T-shirts with the logo of the “Raging Bull,” which earned him his nickname because of his indomitable fighting spirit.
After he gave a heartfelt speech in Spanish, the main lights dimmed and a spotlight surrounded Nadal.
He stared at the court for a few moments, chewing on his lip as he fought back tears.
The next part of the celebration was a video montage featuring career highlights and personal messages from sports superstars, including tennis legends Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams and Andy Murray, as well as footballers David Beckham, Andres Iniesta and Raul and golfer Sergio Garcia.
Another long round of applause followed before he left the field for the last time as a professional player, blowing kisses along the way.
