Tennis star Rafael Nadal has announced his retirement from the game in a moving video posted via his social media channels.
The 38-year-old from Spain, who has won 22 Grand Slam titles over the course of his incredible 23-year career, shared footage from some of his tennis highlights, and spoke about the “difficult decision” to retire on Thursday, October 10.
“Hello, everyone, I’m here to let you know that I am retiring from professional tennis,” he said in Spanish before thanking his fans in 12 different languages. “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. 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. I am very excited that my last tournament will be the final of the Davis Cup and representing my country.”
The Davis Cup, which takes place next month, is a meaningful one for Nadal, since it takes place in Malaga in his native Spain. The star, who is the second-most successful men’s singles player of all time, second only to his long-time rival Novac Djokovic, has been struggling with numerous injuries over the past few years and has barely played for the past two seasons, so the news won’t come as a huge shock to his millions of fans around the world.
Over the course of his career, Nadal has won the French Open an impressive 14 times, along with holding four US Open titles and winning Wimbledon in 2008 and 2010. He’s also helped Spain win the Davis Cup five times over the years, most recently in 2019.
Within minutes of announcing his retirement, Nadal was being flooded with messages on social media from some of his tennis friends and rivals. Roger Federer wrote: “What a career, Rafa! I always hoped this day would never come. Thank you for the unforgettable memories and all your incredible achievements in the game we love. It’s been an absolute honor.”
Nick Kyrgios, who Nadal has famously clashed with numerous times, wrote via X, “Rafa, don’t retire, I want to play you one last time. We had our differences but you were one hell of a warrior. Best wishes and good luck with whatever comes next.”
Relative newcomers like Coco Gauff have paid tribute too. The 20-year-old U.S. star wrote: “You are amazing! It’s been so incredible to witness your greatness and work ethic and be able to learn from it. Wishing you all the best in your next chapter.”
In 2019, Nadal married Maria Francisca Perello, and the couple have one child, a toddler son named Rafael Jr., who was born in Mallorca, Spain, in 2022 — and the star absolutely loves fatherhood, describing it as “an unexpected adventure.”
