Rafael Nadal has said an emotional farewell to a legendary tennis career in a video in which he thanks his family, his team and his legion of fans.
The Spanish tennis icon is considered one of the greatest to have ever played the sport, and for some the best of all, but he has surprised his followers by confirming that he will soon hang up his racket for good.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion has battled injuries in recent years and, fittingly, his final act on the court will be playing for Spain in front of the home fans in Malaga in the Davis Cup.
The 38-year-old’s decision to join Roger Federer in retirement will leave Novak Djokovic as the last man standing in the triumvirate that has dominated tennis for two decades.
In a moving clip, Nadal said goodbye to the sport and insisted that he “leaves with the absolute peace of mind of having given my best.”
Rafael Nadal said an emotional farewell to a legendary tennis career and thanked his family, his team and his legion of fans.
Rafael Nadal has announced that he will retire from tennis, ending a historic tennis career.
The Spanish tennis icon is considered one of the greatest to ever play the sport and, according to some, the best of all.
The tennis great said: ‘Hello everyone, I am here to inform you that I am retiring from professional tennis.’ The reality is that they have been difficult years, these last two especially.
‘I don’t think I have been able to play without limitations. Obviously it’s a difficult decision, one that has taken me some time to make.
‘But in this life everything has a beginning and an end, and I think it is the right time to end a career that has been long and much more successful than I could have ever imagined.
‘But I am very excited that my last tournament will be the Davis Cup final and I will represent my country. I think I have come full circle, since one of my first great joys as a professional tennis player was the Davis Cup final in Seville in 2004.
‘I feel super, super lucky for all the things I’ve been able to experience. I want to thank the entire tennis industry, all the people involved in this sport: my lifelong colleagues, especially my great rivals. I have spent many hours with them and have lived many moments that I will remember for the rest of my life.
‘Talking about my team is a little more difficult for me, because in the end my team has been a very important part of my life. They are not just my coworkers, they are my friends.
‘They have been by my side every time I have really needed them. Very bad moments, very good moments, moments in which they had to push me, moments that gave me more slack. We have lived so much together that it is difficult to explain.
‘My family is everything to me. My mother: I think she has made all the sacrifices she had to make so that we always had everything.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion has battled injuries in recent years.
The 38-year-old’s decision to join Roger Federer in retirement will leave Novak Djokovic (left) as the last man standing in the triumvirate that has dominated tennis.
He first burst onto the scene with an impressive French Open title at age 19 in 2005 – his first attempt.
Nadal will always be a name associated with determination, effort and the refusal to admit defeat.
‘My wife Mery: we have been together for 19 years. Thank you for everything you have done. I think you have been the perfect travel companion during all these years of racing.
‘Coming home and seeing my son grow every day has been a force that has really kept me alive and with the energy to continue.
‘My sister, I think we have always had an incredible relationship. My uncle (Toni), who is the reason I started playing tennis. I think that thanks to him I have also been able to overcome many situations that have been difficult in my sports career.
‘And to my father, who I believe has been a source of inspiration to me in every sense of the word. I think it has been an example of effort, of improvement. Many, many thanks to my father in a very, very special way.
And finally, you, the fans. I can’t thank you enough for how you have made me feel. You have given me the energy that I have needed at every moment. Truly 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. I can only finish by saying a thousand thanks to everyone and see you soon.’
The first half of Nadal’s career was defined by his rivalry with his close friend Federer; the last part for his battles with Djokovic. Of all his records and accolades, the one that will surely never be repeated is his 14 French Open titles.
He was a relentless competitor on the court and an impeccable ambassador off it. Away from the camera, in small interactions with support staff at events, he was unfailingly polite and humble and that is the true measure of the man.
The tennis icon burst onto the scene with a stunning victory at the French Open aged just 19 in 2005 on his first attempt, beating Roger Federer in the semi-finals along the way, one of only four to beat the Swiss great that year. .
He would later follow up with another 13 titles at Roland Garros, nine of them in his first 10 attempts, becoming one of the most dominant athletes in any sport in a specific event.
By age 24 he had won every Grand Slam title available, becoming the youngest to do so in the process, and also twice won Olympic gold for Spain (singles in 2008, doubles in 2016).
However, as reflected in his message, all great things must come to an end, and the next Davis Cup final will be Nadal’s last foray onto the court as a professional tennis player.
No player in any sport has enjoyed as much dominance as Nadal on the clay courts of Paris.
Nadal won his career Grand Slam twice, sealing each of the sport’s four biggest prizes twice.
His victory over his great rival and close friend Roger Federer in 2008 is widely recognized as the greatest tennis match of all time.
Although he is right-handed by nature, he plays with his non-dominant hand, which only underlines his talent and skill.
Nadal has played some of the most memorable matches in the sport, and his effort, determination, ability to play well beyond the pain barrier and sheer will have earned him universal recognition, inside and outside of tennis.
From the incredible Wimbledon final in 2008 to his almost incredible triumph in Melbourne in 2022, coming back from two sets down (the first to do so in the Australian Open Open Era), Nadal’s class was enduring.
Although he is right-handed by nature, he plays with his non-dominant hand, which only underlines his talent and skill, which took him to the top of the sport.
