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Oct 10 (ATP Tour) – Rafael Nadal has announced he will retire at the end of the 2024 season.
The 38-year-old Spaniard will compete in his final professional event at the Davis Cup Finals, to be held in Malaga from 19-24 November.
“Hello everyone, I am here to let you know I am retiring from professional tennis,” said Nadal in Spanish in a video posted on X. “The reality is it has been some difficult years, these last two especially. 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, but in this life, everything has a beginning and an end, and I think it’s the appropriate time to put an end to a career that has been long and much more successful than I could have ever imagined.”
A 92-time tour-level champion who spent 209 weeks at No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings, Nadal has been one of the leading lights on the ATP Tour since turning pro in 2001. He is a 22-time Grand Slam titlist, a tally which includes a record 14 crowns at Roland Garros.
Nadal will bring his storied career to a close on home soil in Malaga, where he will be part of a Spain Davis Cup team that also includes Carlos Alcaraz. The host nation plays its quarter-final tie against the Netherlands on Tuesday, 19 November from 5 p.m. local time (CET).
“I am very excited that my last tournament will be the final of the Davis Cup and representing my country,” said Nadal. “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.
“I feel super, super lucky for all the things I’ve been able to experience.”
Nadal, who went on to thank his ATP Tour rivals, his team, and his family (including his uncle and former coach Toni Nadal) in the video, has a 12-7 record for 2024 so far. Despite his body rarely allowing him to compete at full fitness across the past two seasons, the Spaniard’s trademark dedication to his sport never faltered. He attributed part of his desire to continue playing this long to the arrival of his son, Rafael, whom he shares with his wife Maria.
“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.”
Nadal was hugely popular with fans around the world. His heavy-hitting lefty game, combined with his almost unrivalled desire to compete and his role as part of the ‘Big 3’ alongside Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, mean he will end his career as one of tennis’ biggest icons.
“Finally, you, the fans. I can’t thank you enough for what you have made me feel,” said Nadal at the end of the video. “You have given me the energy I have needed at every moment.
“Really, 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 end by saying a thousand thanks to all and see you soon.”
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