The unfortunate day has come. Rafael Nadal has announced his retirement from professional tennis. The 22-time Grand Slam champion has decided to hang up his racket after struggling with his multiple injuries over the last couple of years. He’ll play one final time in Malaga as Spain take on the Netherlands in the Davis Cup quarterfinals.
Nadal retires
Nadal had shown no desire to retire, but the signs haven’t been great. He’d skipped Australia, Wimbledon and the US Open this year to prioritize the clay court season, but the results weren’t great. He was knocked out in the first round at the French Open, where he is a 14-time champion. He also decided to skip Laver Cup, a tournament he’d committed to months ago.
“I am retiring from professional tennis. The reality is that it has been some difficult years, these last two especially. 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,” Nadal said in an emotional video he posted.
One last hurrah
You knew the retirement was coming. How and when was the question? Nadal has decided it’ll fit to retire at home. He’ll get that dream farewell with his loved ones and fans present, much like his rival and good friend Roger Federer did in 2022. It’ll be a good time to hand over the reigns of Spanish tennis to Carlos Alcaraz. Nadal has already helped Spain to four Davis Cup titles, and to play a part in the fifth title would be truly magical.
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