Rafael Nadal announced on Thursday that he will retire after the Davis Cup finals in November, marking the end of a career that has earned him 22 Grand Slam titles, global admiration, and legendary rivalries with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.
“I am retiring from professional tennis. The reality is that these last two years have been especially tough,” Nadal said in a video posted on social media. “It’s obviously a hard decision, one that took me a long time to make. But everything in life has a beginning and an end.”
At 38, the Spanish tennis icon will conclude two decades of professional competition with 92 titles and $135 million in prize money. He reigned supreme at the French Open, winning 14 of his Grand Slam titles there. His first victory at Roland Garros came just after his 19th birthday in 2005, and his last, in 2022, made him the oldest champion at the tournament. Throughout his career, he lost only three times in 115 matches on the famous clay courts of Paris.
Nadal also claimed four US Open titles and won the Australian Open twice, first in 2009 and then 13 years later. Wimbledon proved to be his most challenging surface, but he still managed to secure two titles, in 2008 and 2010. His 2008 Wimbledon final victory over Federer, which ended in near darkness, is widely regarded as the greatest Grand Slam final ever.
Nadal achieved the rare feat of a career Golden Slam, winning gold at the 2008 Olympic Games. He also captured five Davis Cup titles for Spain.
A five-time year-end world number one, Nadal spent 209 weeks atop the ATP rankings and remained in the top 10 from 2005 until March 2023. He also won at least one title every year between 2004 and 2022.
In his rivalry with Federer, Nadal held a 24-16 edge, surpassing the Swiss star’s 20 Grand Slam titles in 2022. His battles with Djokovic, who holds the all-time record with 24 majors, spanned 60 matches, with the Serbian leading by just two victories. Nadal’s final match against Djokovic took place at this year’s Paris Olympics, where an underpowered Nadal was defeated in straight sets.
Despite his monumental achievements, injuries have frequently plagued Nadal’s career, a consequence of his intense, high-energy style of play. He suffered from ankle, wrist, knee, elbow, and abdominal issues, causing him to miss 16 Grand Slam tournaments and withdraw from five majors mid-event. His 2022 French Open victory was only possible through daily pain-killing injections in his foot. Later that year, he underwent a procedure to burn nerves in his foot, allowing him to extend his career.
Yet the toll on his body became increasingly apparent. An abdominal strain forced him out of Wimbledon after reaching the semi-finals, and a hip injury led to his early exit at this year’s Australian Open, marking his earliest Grand Slam defeat in seven years. His wife Mery was seen in tears as she watched him battle through his final match in Melbourne.
Nadal’s potential retirement was already hinted at during the 2022 Laver Cup when he played alongside Federer in what was the Swiss star’s final event. As Federer, 41, retired due to a persistent knee injury, the two men shared an emotional moment, with Nadal stating, “When Roger leaves the tour, an important part of my life is leaving too.”
AFP
