Tennis legend Rafael Nadal has announced he’s retiring.
The 38-year-old 22-time Grand Slam champion revealed his last game will be this November at Davis Cup in Malaga, Spain.
He said, translated to English, “The reality is that it has been some difficult years, especially these last two. I don’t think I have been able to play without limitations. It is obviously a difficult decision and one that has taken me some time to make. But, in this life, everything has a beginning and an end. And I think it’s an appropriate time to put an end to a career that has been long and much more successful than I could have ever imagined.”
“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 Sevilla in 2004,” he shared.
“I feel super, super lucky for all the things I’ve been able to experience,” he shared. “I have lived many moments that I will remember for the rest of my life.”
He then paid tribute to his wife and son.
He shared, “Mery, we have been together for 19 years. Thank you for everything you have done. I think you’ve been the perfect travel companion during all these years of my career. To come home and see how my son is growing every day has been a force that has really kept me alive and with the necessary energy to continue.”
He won his first Grand Slam at age 19 back in 2005, and his most recent win came at the French Open in 2022.
