Rafael Nadal will retire at the end of this season. He has had a difficult few years and no longer feels able to continue playing without discomfort, the 22-time Grand Slam champion has announced.
Rafael Nadal has announced his retirement as a professional tennis player. The 22-time Grand Slam tournament winner announced on his social media channels that he will end his career for good after this season. He is very pleased that the final round of the Davis Cup from November 19 to 24 in Malaga will be his last tournament, said Nadal. The 38-year-old wants to compete there once again for his home country of Spain.
"The reality is that the last two years have been very difficult. I don't think I've been able to play without restrictions," said Nadal. The injury-plagued clay court king, who has set numerous tennis records with his 14 victories at the French Open, is leaving as one of the greatest in his sport.
Nadal had already announced in May of last year that he wanted to end his glorious career in 2024. However, he added a caveat: "I can't say it 100 percent because you never know what will happen."
Federer: "Time wears on you"
His former long-term rival Roger Federer, who retired in 2022, had recently encouraged Nadal to take this step. "Time wears on you. In the end, it might also be helpful to make a decision at some point. And then, when it's over, you can just relax again and say: Oh, luckily no more training, luckily no more matches," the Swiss told the German Press Agency on the sidelines of the Laver Cup in Berlin, which he co-initiated. Nadal had had to cancel his participation in the team competition.
Previously, Nadal had also not competed at the Grand Slam tournaments US Open, Wimbledon and Australian Open for fitness reasons. Nadal's last appearance on the Grand Slam stage was at the French Open in May, when he lost to German tennis star Alexander Zverev in three sets in the first round.
Among the 15,000 spectators were not only his son Rafael junior and wife Xisca Perelló, but also tennis stars Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek. He was "happy" about it, Nadal said afterwards, "because it means that I have left a positive legacy".
Many titles - but also many injuries
In addition to his 14 victories at the French Open, Nadal also triumphed four times at the US Open and twice each at Wimbledon and the Australian Open. He was number one in the world rankings for a total of 209 weeks and collected more than 134 million euros in prize money alone. Together with Federer and Djokovic, Nadal formed the "Big Three" who dominated men's tennis for almost two decades.
However, Nadal's powerful and intense style of play took its toll. During his career, the Mallorcan was repeatedly set back by injuries. Müller-Weiss syndrome, a rare disease in which bone tissue in the scaphoid bone of the foot skeleton dies off, was a particular problem for him.
At times, he also seemed to be overexploiting his own body during his many comebacks. "My life and body have been sending me signals for a long time," Nadal said in the spring. Nevertheless, he tortured himself back onto the court because he wanted to enjoy the game that he loves so much and that has given him so much one last time. And to say adiós.
"He has done everything for the sport," said Federer: "It would be phenomenal if he could hang on for another season, but only Rafa himself can answer that." He has now done it.
