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Rafael Nadal Announces His Retirement

Oct 11, 2024

Image: Rafa Nadal Twitter

The King of Clay is finally laying down his crown.

Rafael Nadal has announced that he will be retiring from tennis at the end of the current season.

The 38-year-old will be taking to the court for the last time at the Davis Cup Finals next month.

It will bring the curtain down on a hugely-successful career that spanned over two decades, during which Nadal firmly established himself as one of the greatest players in tennis history.

After making waves on the junior circuit, the Spaniard made his professional debut in 2001 at the tender age of just 14.

With his remarkable maturity and poise – even against the seniors - it became clear very early on that Nadal was destined for great things. But not even the most optimistic observer could have predicted then just how great Nadal would turn out to be.

Achievements in numbers

Image: Rafa Nadal Twitter

Over the course of his career Nadal has won a total of 22 Grand Slam titles, second only to Novak Djokovic who has 24.

14 of these have come at his pet event – the French Open, where he’s won more titles than any other male or female player in history.

Rafa has also won two Australian Open crowns, two Wimbledon titles, and four honours at the US Open.

His success also extended beyond the ATP Tour, with two Olympic gold medals added to his collection in 2008 and 2016.

Nadal also spent a total of 209 weeks at the top of the ATP World Rankings, although he has since fallen to a lowly 158^th.

Career blighted by injury

Over the course of his career, Nadal has been famous for his athleticism, aggressive play and hard work on the court, all of which made him a formidable opponent.

But his style of play also made him susceptible to injuries, especially in the latter part of his career.

He’s had to battle knee, wrist and most recently, hip problems, all of which added up to take a toll on his body and eventually play a major part in him hanging up his racket.

One of the greats

Based on his achievements alone, no one would argue that Rafa Nadal is one of the all-time greats alongside Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.

It was no surprise then that his former rivals were among the first to pay tribute to the Spaniard, fittingly labelling him a legend of the game.

The fact that his fiercest opponents had nothing but kind words for him also emphasized how well-loved Nadal is among his peers, serving also to strengthen his reputation as a true gentleman of the game.