‘Everything has a beginning and an end’: Rafael Nadal announces retirement
King of Clay and 22-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal has announced his retirement from tennis at the age of 38.
Nadal won the French Open a record 14 times and is second only to Novak Djokovic for most Grand Slams.
He will play his last matches at next month’s Davis Cup Finals in Malaga, where he will attempt to lead Spain to the title for a fifth time.
“I am retiring from professional tennis,” the Spaniard said in a video released on social media.
“The reality is that 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.
“I think it’s the appropriate time to put an end to a career that has been much longer and more successful than I could have ever imagined.
“But I am very excited that my last tournament will be the final of the Davis Cup and representing my country.
“I feel super, super lucky for all of the things I have been able to experience,” Nadal added.
“I want to thank the entire tennis industry, all the people involved in this sport: my long-time colleagues, especially my great rivals.
“I have spent many, many hours with them and I have lived many moments that I will remember for the rest of my life.
“And finally, you, the fans. I can’t thank you enough for what you have made me feel. You have given me the energy I have needed at every moment.
“Everything I have experienced has been a dream come true. I leave with the absolute peace of mind of having given my best, of having made an effort in every way.
“I can only end by saying a thousand thanks to all and see you soon.”
Along with Djokovic and Roger Federer, Nadal was part of the so-called Big Three of men’s tennis who dominated the game for more than a decade.
He follows Britain’s Andy Murray in retiring from tennis this year. Federer hung up his racket in 2022.
Fittingly, Nadal won the last of his Grand Slams at the French Open in 2022.