The Last Shot: Pete’s Frame of Rafa’s Farewell

In the quiet crescendo of a historic career, Rafael Nadal took the stage one final time at his fifth farewell — not with a racket in hand, but with words, memories, and gratitude. It wasn’t a match. It was a moment.

Behind the scenes stood Pete — a true Manly boy and longtime ATP photographer — the silent historian of the tour. For years, Pete has captured the thunderous forehands, the silent struggles, the raw elation of champions. But at Rafa’s presentation, it was Pete who found himself unexpectedly within the story.

One photo said it all: Rafa center stage, emotion in his eyes… and in the background, a figure with a camera — Pete — caught mid-frame, forever embedded in the memory he was trying to preserve.

In that image, the lines between subject and storyteller blurred. It was a quiet tribute not just to Rafa’s journey, but to the unsung artists like Pete who frame greatness, one shutter click at a time.

This wasn’t just Rafa’s goodbye. It was a nod to those who make goodbyes unforgettable.