Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal has announced that he will retire following the Davis Cup finals in November.
This announcement which he made in a video via his social media on Thursday, will signal an end to a remarkable career that includes 22 Grand Slam titles and legendary rivalries with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.
At 38 years old, the Spanish tennis star is poised to finish his two-decade professional journey with an impressive tally of 92 titles and a staggering $135 million in prize money, solidifying his place among the greatest tennis players of all time.
I am retiring from professional tennis. The reality is that it has been some difficult years, these last two especially.
Nadal
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.
Nadal has been named to the Spain team alongside Carlos Alcaraz as he aims to cap his career with a fifth Davis Cup victory in Malaga next month.
CAREER ACHIEVEMENTS
He dominated the French Open, claiming 14 of his Grand Slam titles there.
His first victory came just days after his 19th birthday in 2005, and his last in 2022 briefly made him the oldest champion of the event until Djokovic surpassed that record a year later.
On the famed clay courts of Roland Garros, he suffered only four losses in 116 matches.
Nadal also triumphed four times at the US Open and twice at the Australian Open, with his first win occurring in 2009 and his second 13 years later.
He also claimed Wimbledon titles in 2008 and 2010, despite grass being the surface that could most easily reveal any flaws in his game.
His five-set victory against Roger Federer in the 2008 championship match, which concluded in near darkness at the All England Club, is often hailed as the greatest Grand Slam final ever played.
