Rafael Nadal to retire from professional tennis

Rafael Nadal said on Thursday he is to retire from playing professional tennis after the upcoming Davis Cup finals in Malaga.

"Hello everyone, I am here to let you know I am retiring from professional tennis," he said in a social media post.

"The reality is, that it has been some difficult years, these last two especially," he said in reference to a series of injuries that have prevented him from playing for much of the last 24 months.

"I don't think I have been able to play without limitations. It is obviously a difficult decision, one that has taken me some time to make," he continued in a video clip.

Despite vast amounts of success on the court, including 22 major titles and a record 14 French Opens, Nadal has had a career riddled with injuries. 

The final spiral of injuries began at Wimbledon 2022, with an abdominal issue that saw him withdraw from the tournament ahead of his semi-final with Nick Kyrgios.

But the main issue was a left hip injury, incurred at the 2023 Australian Open, that ruled him out of tennis for 12 months.

Nadal's legacy

Despite the injuries, Nadal's legacy as one of the all-time greats is secure — not least because of the record-breaking 14 French Open titles bending his shelves, a feat unlikely to ever be matched or beaten.

In addition to those 14 titles picked up on the Parisian clay at Roland Garros, Nadal also won four US Opens, two Australian Opens and two Wimbledon titles, the first of which was won in 2008 after a five-set win in the final over Roger Federer in a match often talked about as being the greatest tennis match of all time.

But it was on the dirt where he earned the nickname the King of Clay, due to his imperious form on the surface.

The Big Three

A part of the Nadal legacy also comes in the form of his two archrivals — Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.

During the first part of his career, it was the Swiss player, particularly in the wake of that 2008 Wimbledon final, who was Nadal's biggest rival. Nadal holds a 24-16 head-to-head advantage over Federer, which began as a fierce rivalry but ended in a warm friendship.

However, in the second half of Nadal's career, it was Djokovic who emerged as Nadal's greatest rival, particularly in recent years as the light faded on Federer's career. Indeed, the last time Nadal took to the court before the announcement was against Djokovic at the Paris Olympics, with the Serb beating his Spanish rival en route to winning an elusive gold medal.

The Djokovic-Nadal match-up ended up 31-29 in the Serb's favor, in what is the most frequently seen encounter in the history of the sport. Djokovic also overtook Nadal, to take the lead in the Grand Slam race, with 24 major titles to the 22 of the Spaniard.

"I want to thank the entire tennis industry, all the people involved in this sport, my long-time colleagues, especially my great rivals," Nadal said as images of him playing against Federer and Djokovic played out in the social media post.

"I have spent many hours with them and I have lived many moments that I will remember for the rest of my life."

Reactions

Reactions to the retirement announcement were quick to flood in.

Federer lauded Nadal's "incredible achievements" while world number one Jannik Sinner said the Spaniard "taught us young players how to behave on the court, how to handle situations on the court." 

"Also to stay humble at the same time, not changing with his success," the 23-year-old told the media at the Shanghai Masters tournament. "It's tough news for the tennis world and not only (the tennis world)."

The final word on his retirement, though, can be left to the man himself, who said in Thursday's social media post: "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."