One of the greatest players ever to grace the tennis Court has called time on his professional career. Rafael Nadal a 22-time Grand Slam winner, has announced that he will retire from professional tennis at the end of the current season.
The 38-year-old will represent Spain one final time at the Davis Cup Finals next month.
Nadal, has struggled with injuries over the past two seasons, and has hinted towards a possible retirement for a while, now he has ended all the speculation, this is the end.
Nadal steps away from the sport as one of its all-time greats, ranking second in men’s singles titles behind his long-time rival Novak Djokovic.
In a video statement released on Thursday Nadal confirmed the news Nadal fans of the Spaniard have feared: “I’m here to tell you that I will be retiring from professional tennis. The last couple of years have been tough, especially the last two, and I haven’t been able to play without restrictions.”
Nadal holds an unparalleled record at the French Open, claiming 14 titles and winning 112 of his 116 matches at Roland Garros—more Grand Slam victories at a single event than any other player in history.
His success however, extends past this with four US Open titles and two each at both Wimbledon and the Australian Open.
Additionally, Nadal earned gold medals in both singles and doubles at the Olympics and helped lead Spain to four Davis Cup victories, the most recent in 2019.
Andres Iniesta who also recently retired, claimed Nadal is the “greatest sportsman in Spain’s History” and he may be correct in that, his records seem unattainable, his legend is ingrained in the sport and culture of Tennis. The king of clay who left his mark on the court and the world.
