Rafael Nadal has announced his decision to retire from tennis after the Davis Cup finals in November.
Nadal, a winner of 22 Grand Slam titles, made the announcement on his social media platforms on Thursday.
“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. I think it is the appropriate time to put an end to a career that has been long and much more successful than I could have ever imagined.”
Nadal is widely considered to be one of the greatest men’s singles tennis players and formed more than a decade long rivalry with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.
Nadal is one of three men’s players to complete a Career Golden Slam of winning all four Grand Slam titles as well as an Olympic gold medal. His 22 Grand Slam titles include a record 14 French Open titles.
He won the US Open title four times while also winning the Australian Open and Wimbledon crown twice each. Nadal also won the Davis Cup title with Spain four times.
Nadal has struggled with a spate of injuries over the last two years which curtailed his participation on the ATP Tour to just a handful of matches.
He missed the 2024 Australian Open with a muscle injury and then skipped playing at Wimbledon to ready himself for the French Open. He suffered his first-ever first-round loss at Roland Garros when he was beaten by eventual runner up Alexander Zverev.
Nadal last played at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where he was also a torch bearer during the opening ceremony. While he lost to eventual singles champion Novak Djokovic in the second round, he partnered Carlos Alcaraz in the doubles event but the duo lost in the quarter-finals.
“I am very excited that my last tournament will be the final of the Davis Cup and representing my country. I think I’ve come full circle since one of my first great joys as a professional tennis player was the Davis Cup Final in Seville in 2004,” he said.
“I leave with the absolute peace of mind of having given my best, of having made an effort in every way; I can only end by saying a thousand thanks, and see you soon.”
The Davis Cup Finals will see eight teams vie for the title. Spain have been drawn to face the Netherlands in the quarter-finals on November 19.
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