Twenty-two time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal has announced his imminent retirement from tennis. He has stated that the Davis Cup will be his final tournament. Nadal has only played 19 matches in 2024 due to injuries that have plagued him over the past few years. In his lone Grand Slam match this year, Nadal lost to Zverev in the opening round of the French Open. That match has turned out to be his final Roland-Garros match.
The Spaniard also made it to the Bastad Open final, where he was defeated by Nuno Borges. In the Paris 2024 Olympics, he lost to Djokovic in the singles tournament. But he advanced to the men’s doubles quarterfinals with Carlos Alcaraz in Paris
Nadal announced on social media that he will be retiring after missing the US Open and Laver Cup. He also stated that the Davis Cup finals in November will be his final match. “Hi to all of you, In a video that was uploaded on X, Rafael Nadal stated, “I’m here to let you know that I am retiring from professional tennis.” “The truth is that these past two years in particular have been quite challenging”.
“It is unlikely that I have been able to play without any restrictions. It’s clear that this is a tough choice, and it took me some time to come to it. However, everything in this life has an end, and I believe that this is the right moment to call it quits on a career that has been lengthy and far more successful than I ever could have anticipated”.
“However, I can’t wait to represent my nation in the Davis Cup final, which will be my final competition. I feel like I’ve gone full circle because the 2004 Davis Cup final in Sevilla was one of my greatest tennis player moments”.
With a total of 92 titles on the ATP Tour, Nadal only boasts fewer top-level crowns than Big Three rivals Djokovic (99) and Roger Federer (103). All this exceptional records will be missed and a void will be left in the hearts of his many fans. His invincibility on clay, masterful returning skills and pre-serve flick-the-hair-behind-the-ears ritual will be missed to no end.
