On Thursday morning, the legendary tennis player and 22-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal announced his retirement, confirming the news via a video message posted to his social media accounts. The 38-year-old shared he would make his final appearance representing Spain at next month’s Davis Cup Finals in Malaga. The message settled widespread speculation that the 2024 season would be his last, following a series of injuries over the past few years.
“The reality is that it has been some difficult years, these last two especially,” Nadal said in the statement. “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.”
Regularly dubbed the “King of Clay” thanks to his record 14 singles titles at the French Open, Nadal’s 22 Grand Slam victories make him the second-most garlanded player in the history of men’s tennis after his longtime rival Novak Djokovic. Representing Spain, Nadal has also won two Olympic gold medals and led his country to four Davis Cup titles. Elsewhere, Nadal has been celebrated for his philanthropic work, including his foundation and tennis academy based in his hometown of Manacor on the island of Mallorca. His eye for style has also seen him serve as a face for brands including Lanvin, Richard Mille, and Armani, and in 2022, he launched his first series of fragrances in partnership with the French perfume house Henry Jacques.
Over the past several years, Nadal has been open about his struggles with numerous injuries, despite having bounced back from a foot injury in 2022 to secure a barnstorming win at the Australian Open over Daniil Medvedev, making him the second man in the Open Era, after Djokovic, to complete the double Career Grand Slam. Last year, in an interview with the Spanish outlet Movistar, he hinted that the 2024 season could be his last.
Nadal’s final outing at the Davis Cup in November, in which he is expected to play alongside rising star Carlos Alcaraz, is sure to be an emotional one—and will close the chapter on one of the most remarkable careers in tennis history.
