Nadal has announced he will retire after the Davis Cup finals in November, to be held in Malaga. The Spaniard, who has won 22 Grand Slams, has been out of action for large parts of the last two years due to injury.
Nadal is waving goodbye to a sport he has played professionally for more than two decadesImage: Frank Molter/dpa/picture alliance
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Rafael Nadal said on Thursday he is to retire from playing professional tennis after the upcoming Davis Cup finals in Malaga.
"Hello everyone, I am here to let you know I am retiring from professional tennis," he said in a social media post.
"The reality is, that it has been some difficult years, these last two especially," he said in reference to a series of injuries that have prevented him from playing for much of the last 24 months.
"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," he continued in a video clip.
Despite vast amounts of success on the court, including 22 major titles and a record 14 French Opens, Nadal has had a career riddled with injuries.
The final spiral of injuries began at Wimbledon 2022, with an abdominal issue that saw him withdraw from the tournament ahead of his semi-final with Nick Kyrgios.
But the main issue was a left hip injury, incurred at the 2023 Australian Open, that ruled him out of tennis for 12 months.
Nadal's legacy
Despite the injuries, Nadal's legacy as one of the all-time greats is secure — not least because of the record-breaking 14 French Open titles bending his shelves, a feat unlikely to ever be matched or beaten.
In addition to those 14 titles picked up on the Parisian clay at Roland Garros, Nadal also won four US Opens, two Australian Opens and two Wimbledon titles, the first of which was won in 2008 after a five-set win in the final over Roger Federer in a match often talked about as being the greatest tennis match of all time.
But it was on the dirt where he earned the nickname the King of Clay, due to his imperious form on the surface.
Rafael Nadal: A tennis great and a clay court king
Rafael Nadal is retiring from professional tennis aged 38. The Spaniard, who won 22 Grand Slam titles, enjoyed one of the most decorated careers in the sport.
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Teen star with a big future
Rafael Nadal entered tennis' big stage in 2005. His victory at the French Open in Paris aged 19, was the beginning of an era of dominance. Until 2020, only in 2009, 2015 and 2016 was the winner of the French Open not Nadal. He won eight of his first 11 tournaments on the ATP Tour on red clay and, for a long time, was reduced to being a clay court specialist.
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On the "holy grass"
At the beginning of his career, Nadal (right) repeatedly duked it out with Roger Federer (left), the world's No.1. Nadal was almost always able to beat the Swiss on clay, but he lost in the Wimbledon finals in 2006 and 2007. It was not until 2008 that the Spaniard managed to prevail on the "holy grass" in what remains the longest, and for some the greatest, final in tournament history.
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Golden rise to the pinnacle
2008 was a very successful year for Nadal. After title wins in Paris and Wimbledon, he also won the Olympic final in Beijing. In the battle for gold, he defeated Chile's Fernando Gonzalez before ousting Roger Federer from the top of the world rankings in August. However, it ended on a bum note as a knee injury forced him into taking the first extended break of his career.
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First hard court Grand Slam
After his recovery, Nadal went on to win his first major tournament on hard court at the Australian Open in January 2009. In the final, he beat Federer in five sets to become the first Spaniard to win in Melbourne. Five months later, however, a lowlight as Nadal lost his first ever match at the French Open and was eliminated in the round of 16.
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Collection complete
Having already won in Paris, Wimbledon and Melbourne, Nadal added the US Open title in New York in 2010. His opponent in the final at Flushing Meadows was Novak Djokovic as Nadal became the seventh and youngest player to win each of the four major tournaments at least once since the start of the Open Era in 1968, aged 24.
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Unique style of play
Although Rafael Nadal is right-handed, he plays tennis with his left hand. This was taught to him at a young age by his uncle and coach Toni Nadal. The Spaniard plays with extreme topspin and has a gift for anticipation, which coupled with his athletic prowess, saw him excel at the highest level.
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Coach and mentor
Nadal's biggest fan is his uncle. Antonio Nadal Homar, known as Toni, is his father's brother and introduced his nephew to tennis when he was four years old, convincing the youngster he could make it to the biggest stage despite Rafa preferring to play football. "Uncle Toni" remained Nadal's coach until 2017, and saw him win 16 Grand Slams in that time.
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Teamwork makes the dream work
Nadal has been in a relationship with Maria Francisca Perello since 2005. The 33-year-old, who studied economics in London, prefers to stay in the background. For 10 years, she has been looking after Nadal's foundation, the "Fundacion Rafa Nadal," which is committed to the integration and development of disadvantaged children in Spain and India. They had their first child together in 2022.
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Impressive numbers
Nadal holds numerous records including for a run of 81 consecutive matches won on clay. The Spaniard never lost a final at the French Open, winning 14 titles – more than any other player. Between 2005 and 2014, he won at least one Grand Slam for 10 years in a row. Perhaps the most impressive is the 23 times Nadal defeated the current world No. 1.
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To the limits
However, Nadal's game is intense and energy-sapping. Early on in his career, the question arose as to how long his body could take the strain. His shoulder, back and knee problems all saw him sidelined for significant periods. A degenerative disease in his foot made success even harder. Despite that he enjoyed a remarkably long career.
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Burned out?
In 2021, the foot injury became more severe than ever before. After the semifinal exit in Paris, Nadal said "honestly, I've been suffering with my foot for a year much more than I should and I need to take some time." After a brief comeback, he ended the season early and by the end of the year his future on the ATP Tour looked uncertain.
Against the odds, Nadal bounced back to win both the Australian Open and French Open in 2022, taking his Grand Slam tally to 22. That last remarkable comeback season marked the beginning of the end though, as his physical issues persisted. He had hip surgery in 2023 and warned that 2024 was likely to be his last as a player.
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Coming full circle
And so, on October 10, 2024, Nadal announced he was retiring from tennis. His final appearance will come in front of a home crowd in Spain when he represents his country in the Davis Cup Finals in mid November. For Nadal, it marks a full circle moment as he returns to the competition that he won with Spain in 2004 in Seville, marking the start of a special career.
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The Big Three
A part of the Nadal legacy also comes in the form of his two archrivals — Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.
During the first part of his career, it was the Swiss player, particularly in the wake of that 2008 Wimbledon final, who was Nadal's biggest rival. Nadal holds a 24-16 head-to-head advantage over Federer, which began as a fierce rivalry but ended in a warm friendship.
However, in the second half of Nadal's career, it was Djokovic who emerged as Nadal's greatest rival, particularly in recent years as the light faded on Federer's career. Indeed, the last time Nadal took to the court before the announcement was against Djokovic at the Paris Olympics, with the Serb beating his Spanish rival en route to winning an elusive gold medal.
The Djokovic-Nadal match-up ended up 31-29 in the Serb's favor, in what is the most frequently seen encounter in the history of the sport. Djokovic also overtook Nadal, to take the lead in the Grand Slam race, with 24 major titles to the 22 of the Spaniard.
"I want to thank the entire tennis industry, all the people involved in this sport, my long-time colleagues, especially my great rivals," Nadal said as images of him playing against Federer and Djokovic played out in the social media post.
"I have spent many hours with them and I have lived many moments that I will remember for the rest of my life."
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Reactions
Reactions to the retirement announcement were quick to flood in.
Federer lauded Nadal's "incredible achievements" while world number one Jannik Sinner said the Spaniard "taught us young players how to behave on the court, how to handle situations on the court."
"Also to stay humble at the same time, not changing with his success," the 23-year-old told the media at the Shanghai Masters tournament. "It's tough news for the tennis world and not only (the tennis world)."
The final word on his retirement, though, can be left to the man himself, who said in Thursday's social media post: "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."
