Rafael Nadal The fighter was already on show months before the world met Rafael Nadal, the professional tennis player. In 2001, Pat Cash, the Wimbledon champion, was scheduled to play an exhibition match against Boris Becker on the Spanish island of Mallorca. A 14-year-old local youngster was called up in a last-minute scramble after Becker was forced to withdraw. Cash thought, “Let’s not bulldoze the kid.” But the kid defeated the 36-year-old Australian.
Even as a 14-year-old showing up for an exhibition, Nadal’s only knowledge of how to play tennis was to battle for each point, run back and forth, and hustle from the baseline to the net and back. The only way Nadal knew how to play tennis was to never give up, not as a growing teenager on the cusp of greatness, not as a graying great well into his late thirty years of age, not at 40-0 in the opening game of the first set, not at 0-40 in the last game of the final set.
But on Thursday, the 22-time Grand Slam Champion, Nadal, one of the greatest players to have graced the sport, decided that he no longer has it in him to play professional tennis. The 38-year-old Spaniard announced that he will retire after taking the court for one last time for his country at the Davis Cup Finals next month in Malaga. The Davis Cup knockout phase will be played from November 19–24.
Yes, the King of Clay has called it a day, after all. The raging bull has decided to halt. In a video message released on Thursday, Nadal said: I am here to let you know I am retiring from professional tennis. The reality is that it has been some difficult years, the last two especially. The Spaniard insisted his decision was related to persistent injury problems. I don’t think I have been able to play without limitations.
It’s obviously a difficult decision, which has taken me a long time to make. I think it’s the appropriate time to put an end to what has been a long and much more successful career than I could have ever imagined, Nadal added.
With a physically demanding game that left many questioning his durability, Rafael Nadal will finish with 22 Grand Slams, second only to Novak Djokovic’s 24. He won two gold medals in the Olympics, held the top spot in the world rankings for 209 weeks, and amassed 92 ATP trophies. His 14 French Open victories will undoubtedly be surpassed in history, and his astounding 112-4 win-loss record on Roland Garros’ clay courts attests to his unparalleled dominance on a surface that is most demanding on the body.
Swiss tennis legend Federer paid tribute to his great rival Nadal. “What a career, Rafa! I always hoped this day would never come,” 20-time Grand Slam winner Federer, who retired two years ago, wrote in a post on social media. “Thank you for the unforgettable memories and all your incredible achievements in the game we love. It’s been an absolute honor!”
Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic expressed his deep respect for Nadal’s contributions to the sport, stating, Rafa, one post is not enough to express the respect I have for you and what you have done for our sport. You have inspired millions of children to start playing tennis, and I think that’s probably the greatest achievement anyone can wish for. Your tenacity, dedication, and fighting spirit are going to be taught for decades, added the Serbian ace. Your legacy will live forever. Only you know what you had to endure to become an icon of tennis and sport in general, Djokovic concluded.
