Rafael Nadal - one of the greatest tennis players of all time - has announced he will retire at the end of the 2024 season, after next month's Davis Cup finals.
"Hello everyone. I am here to announce that I am retiring from professional tennis," Nadal said in a video posted on his personal page on the X platform on the afternoon of October 10 (Vietnam time).
"The last two years have been really difficult for me. I am very happy because my last tournament will be the Davis Cup, where I will represent my home country Spain. I want this tournament to mark the end of my career. One of my first happy moments in tennis was also the final in Sevilla in 2004."
Nadal has won 22 Grand Slam titles in his career, second on the all-time list for men's tennis players, behind Novak Djokovic (24).
14 of those trophies came at Roland Garros, the tournament where he was known as the King. With that dominance, Rafa lost only 4 matches at this tournament and won 112 matches.
Nadal has won all four major titles more than once and has spent 209 weeks at No. 1 in the ATP rankings.
Two decades ago, Nadal burst onto the ATP Tour and quickly challenged Roger Federer's dominance, establishing himself as one of the best teenagers the tennis world has ever seen.
Their rivalry, highlighted by contrasting playing styles, reignited global interest in the sport and created elements of what many consider the golden era of men's tennis.
Then they were joined by Djokovic, who along with Nadal pushed their physical battle to new limits. Their rivalry is the most action-packed men's singles encounter in the Open era. They have played 60 times, with Djokovic leading the match 31-29.
While Nadal has established his dominance on clay and continued to improve on other surfaces, his style of play has also changed the game. The powerful, vicious spin he produces is unlike anything else before.
Along with his forehand, his athleticism and his intelligence, Nadal demonstrated his determination to keep improving. Rafa created a perfect game that allowed him to defeat Federer and eventually win Wimbledon in 2008 in one of the great matches.
Alongside his success, Nadal's career has also been defined by injuries. His physical playing style and health problems, most notably Müller-Weiss Syndrome, a degenerative condition of the feet, have kept him sidelined for long periods.
Those physical difficulties make his success at Roland Garros all the more remarkable.
Despite his physical problems, Nadal has shown incredible resilience. His last two Grand Slam titles came at the Australian Open and the French Open in 2022.
However, injuries have caught up with him in recent times. Since the COVID-19 pause in 2020, Nadal has struggled to maintain form after a relapse of a chronic foot injury, and was forced to withdraw with an abdominal injury before the 2022 Wimbledon semi-finals.
Nadal's problems came to a head with hip surgery last year. As he prepared for the surgery, Nadal said that 2024 could be his last year playing.
However, when he returns to the clay court season in April, Nadal seems to be hoping to extend his career, working every day with his team to achieve his goal.
Ultimately, Nadal's body and some tough tournament matches played a role in the decision. After back-to-back early losses at Roland Garros and the Paris Olympics, Nadal has not played since finishing doubles with Carlos Alcaraz at Paris 2024.
After the Saudi Arabia event with other top players coming up, Nadal will end his career in front of his home fans at the Davis Cup finals, starting on November 19 in Malaga.
