Rafael Nadal declared on Thursday that he will retire following the Davis Cup finals in November, capping off a remarkable career that saw him win 22 Grand Slam titles and engage in legendary battles with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.
“I am retiring from professional tennis. It’s been a challenging few years, particularly the last two,” Nadal revealed in a social media video.
“It’s certainly a tough choice, one that required considerable deliberation. However, everything in life has a start and a finish.”
The 38-year-old Spaniard will conclude his professional tenure spanning two decades with 92 titles and earnings of $135 million in prize money alone.
He was particularly successful at the French Open, claiming 14 of his major titles there, with his first win shortly after his 19th birthday in 2005 and his most recent in 2022, making him the tournament’s oldest victor.
Nadal lost only three of his 115 matches on the iconic clay courts of Roland Garros.
He also won the US Open four times and the Australian Open twice, with his initial victory in 2009 and another 13 years later.
Nadal secured two Wimbledon titles in 2008 and 2010, even though grass was seen as his least favorable surface.
His five-set win against Roger Federer in the 2008 Wimbledon final, played in near-total darkness, is often hailed as the greatest Grand Slam final.
Nadal achieved a career Golden Slam by winning Olympic gold in 2008 and added five Davis Cups to his accolades.
He was the world’s number one at year’s end five times and consistently stayed in the top 10 from 2005 until March of this year.
Throughout his career, he was ranked number one for 209 weeks and won at least one title every year between 2004 and 2022.
In his extensive rivalry with close friend Federer, who retired last year, Nadal held a 24-16 advantage and surpassed Federer’s total of 20 majors last year in Australia.
He and Djokovic, who holds a record 24 men’s Grand Slam titles, faced each other 60 times, with Djokovic leading by two.
In their last encounter at this year’s Paris Olympics, Djokovic defeated a less-powerful Nadal in straight sets.
Despite his spectacular achievements, Nadal’s career was marred by injuries, a testament to his intensely physical playing style.
