Rafael Nadal announces his retirement after a 23-year career dotted with 22 Grand Slam titles and two Olympic golds as among his countless achievements.
Rafael Nadal is calling it a career.
The former world No.1 Nadal, who collected 22 Grand Slam titles including a record 14 in Roland Garros, is set to retire by the end of the 2024 season, concluding one of the most storied professional tennis careers of all time.
The 38-year-old King of Clay made the announcement in a video message posted across his official social media platforms, revealing that he will compete in his last professional tournament in the Davis Cup Finals next month.
“Hello, everyone. I am here to let you know I am retiring from professional tennis,” Nadal began in Spanish.
“The reality is it has been some difficult years, these last two especially. I don’t think I have been able to play without limitations. 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. And I think it’s the appropriate time to put an end to a career that has been long and much more successful than I could have ever imagined," he went on.
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Nadal, who underwent hip surgery in June last year, has previously stated that 2024 would likely be his final year, but was hesitant to commit to a timeline as he made his comeback from injury.
But the Spanish great was only limited to seven tournaments this year, including his lone Grand Slam in Roland Garros and the Paris Olympics. He has not seen action since the quadrennial meet in August after also withdrawing from the Laver Cup last month where fans were hoping for a "FeDal," portmanteau of rival Roger Federer and Nadal, reunion on court.
Federer played his last match alongside Nadal in his brainchild Laver Cup two years ago.
Nadal expressed excitement in ending his career in the Davis Cup, the same tournament he helped his country rule in 2004 after stunning then world No. 2 Andy Roddick of the USA.
This time around, Nadal will represent Spain alongside prodigy Carlos Alcaraz. Their team-up in the Paris Olympics gave rise to the "Nadalcaraz" fever that enthralled fans. The tournament will be held in Nadal's native country of Spain, in the city of Malaga from November 19 to 24.
He described this as a "full circle" moment.
"But, I am very excited that my last tournament will be the final of the Davis Cup and representing my country. I think, I have come full circle, since one of my first great joys as a professional tennis player was the Davis Cup final in Sevilla in 2004," said Nadal.
“I am very excited that my last tournament will be the final of the Davis Cup and representing my country.”
Nadal turned pro in 2001 and went on to collect 92 singles titles, including 36 Masters 1000s, in his 23-year career.
The Spaniard quickly rose to stardom after amassing huge achievements at a young age, including beating then world No. 1 Federer in Miami in 2004 when Nadal was just 17.
Nadal lifted his first-ever major trophy a year later in Roland Garros, on his first attempt as a 19-year-old.
He went on to collect 13 more in his favorite Grand Slam, including winning in succession from 2005-08, 2010-14 and 2017-20. He last ruled the tournament in 2022. Nadal collected a whopping 112-4 win-loss record in the clay-court major.
His championship hardware at Roland Garros makes Nadal the record-holder for the most trophies by a single player in a major.
He also won both the Australian Open and Wimbledon twice, including beating Federer in an epic final in the latter in 2008, and the US Open four times.
He pocketed the singles Olympic gold medal in 2008 and won another gold in doubles eight years later.
Nadal, alongside Federer and Novak Djokovic, formed the 'Big Three' that dominated the men's game for two decades.
"I feel super, super lucky for all the things I've been able to experience," said Nadal.