Rafael Nadal has announced his retirement from tennis after this year’s Davis Cup final, ending a career that brought 22 Grand Slam titles, global respect, and inspired rivalries with fellow greats Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.
“I am retiring from professional tennis. The reality is that it has been some difficult years, these last two especially,” Nadal said on Thursday in a video on social media.
“It is a difficult decision, one that has taken me some time to make. But in this life, everything has a beginning and an end.”
Nadal, 38, is set to end his career as one of the greatest tennis players of all time.
Here’s all to know about the Spanish superstar’s retirement, legacy and what happens next:
In many ways, yes. Nadal had previously said he expected to retire this year after a hip injury that required surgery and limited his appearances in 2023.
Nadal has been no stranger to injuries in recent years, he developed a hip problem at the Australian Open in early 2023 and missed the French Open later that year before having surgery. He has also suffered from constant knee injuries dating back several years.
He has played only 23 matches in the past two seasons.
Twenty-three. The boy from Mallorca turned pro in 2001. Aged 15, he won his first match at a Challenger tournament in Seville, Spain.
He was top-ranked for 209 weeks. Nadal was number one in the world at the end of 2008, 2010, 2013, 2017, and 2019.
At the Davis Cup final for Spain, starting on November 19.
