With a total of 22 grand slam wins over the span of his distinguished career in tennis, Rafael Nadal has announced his retirement from the sport.
Considered as one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Nadal will play his last match in November at the Davis Cup finals with Spain. The veteran athlete last played at the Paris Olympics but his injuries had hampered him in his career. With this, he had limited time on court during the past two seasons.
In a social media post, Nadal expressed: “Hello everyone, I’m here to let you know that I am retiring from professional tennis,” Nadal said in a video posted on social media. “The reality is that it has been some difficult years, these last two especially. I don’t think I have been able to play without limitations.”
He added: “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.”
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Nadal and his historic tennis career
Nadal’s 36 Masters 1000 titles and 22 grand slam victories ranked him second in the men’s tennis history, behind only his great and longtime rival, Novak Djokovic.
The athlete was also dubbed as the “King of Clay” due to his incredible dominance on the clay-courts. He has won 14 grand slams at the French Open and only lost four times out of his 116 matches in the competition.
Furthermore, he won the US Open four times, and both Australian Open and Wimbledon twice. His victory over Roger Federer in the 2008 Wimbledon final has been widely considered as the greatest tennis match of all time.
Nadal declared: “I am very excited that my last tournament will be the final of the Davis Cup and representing my country… 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 Seville in 2004. I feel super, super lucky for all the things I’ve been able to experience.”
He further expressed: “I want to thank the entire tennis industry. All the people involved in this sport, my long-time colleagues, especially my great rivals. I have spent many, many hours with them and I have lived many moments that I will remember for the rest of my life… Talking about my team is a little bit more difficult for me because in the end, my team has been a very important part of my life. They are not co-workers, they are friends. They have been by my side at all the times I have really needed them. Very bad moments, very good moments.”
“I leave with the absolute peace of mind of having given my best, of having made an effort in every way,” he said.
Source: CNN