It was announced today (10 October) that Tennis great, Rafael Nadal, is set to retire after the Davis Cup finals in November; ending a career which brought 22 Grand Slam titles, global respect and inspired epic and iconic rivalries with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.
"I am retiring from professional tennis. The reality is that it has been some difficult years, these last two especially," Nadal said in a video on social media." 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."
The 38-year-old Spaniard is set to end his two decades as a professional with 92 titles and prize money alone of $135 million; his status long since secured as one of the greatest tennis players of all time.
Nadal has been included alongside Carlos Alcaraz in the Spain team as he bids to sign off with a fifth Davis Cup triumph in Malaga next month. "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," said Nadal.
"But I am very excited that my last tournament will be the final of the Davis Cup and representing my country. I think I've come full circle," added Nadal, who won the Davis Cup for the first time as a teenager in 2004.
Nadal dominated the French Open where he won 14 of his majors, his first arriving just days after his 19th birthday in 2005, his last in 2022, briefly making him the event's oldest champion before the record was eclipsed by Djokovic a year later. On the famous crushed brick of Roland Garros, he lost just four times in 116 matches.
He was also a four-time champion at the U.S. Open and a two-time winner at the Australian Open, his first triumph coming in 2009; his second 13 years later.
Nadal also won Wimbledon twice, in 2008 and 2010, even though grass seemed to be the surface most likely to expose any shortcomings in his game.
His five-set victory over Roger Federer in the 2008 championship match, which ended in almost complete darkness at the All England Club, is widely regarded as the greatest Slam final ever played.
Nadal claimed a career Golden Slam when he took Olympic Games gold in 2008. He was a five-time year-end world number one and never left the top 10 from 2005 until March last year. In total, he spent 209 weeks in top spot and between 2004 and 2022, won at least one title every year.
In his long rivalry with close friend Federer, who retired two years ago, he enjoyed a 24-16 edge. Nadal surpassed Federer's mark of 20 majors in Australia in 2022. He and Djokovic, the all-time leader with 24 men's Grand Slam titles, met 60 times with the Serb just ahead by two.
An underpowered Nadal was swept aside by Djokovic in straight sets in their final meeting at this year's Paris Olympics. Nadal has not played since losing in the doubles quarter-finals with Alcaraz a few days later.
Despite his record-breaking career, Nadal was plagued by injuries, a painful by-product of his all-action, brutal-hitting style. Ankle, wrist, knee, elbow and abdominal problems have caused him to sit out 18 Grand Slam tournaments and withdraw mid-event on five occasions at the majors.
At the 2022 French Open, he admitted that his title charge would have been impossible without daily pain-killing injections in his foot.
Nadal then underwent a medical procedure which required nerves in the foot to be burned to allow him to extend his career. However, the creaks in the body were getting louder. An abdominal strain forced him out of Wimbledon where he had made the semi-finals.
He was then struck down with a hip injury at the Australian Open the following January as he crashed out in the second round - his earliest exit at the majors in seven years. Nadal has had a number of health issues leading up to his retirement. He has Mueller-Weiss syndrome in his foot - a condition that saw him use numbing injections to get through the 2022 French Open. His wife, Mery, was in tears as she watched him struggle through to the end.
Nadal possibly sensed the writing was on the wall at the 2022 Laver Cup in London when he played alongside Federer in the great Swiss star's final tournament. At 41, and unable to shake off a knee injury, Federer called it quits.
The two men wept and even grasped each other's hands as the Federer era ended. "When Roger leaves the tour, an important part of my life is leaving too," said Nadal.
The former men's world number one was visibly emotional when Federer, whom he played against 40 times, retired at the Laver Cup in 2022.
"I feel super lucky for all the things I have been able to experience," Nadal said in his statement.
"I want to thank the entire tennis industry, all the people involved in this sport, my long-time colleagues, especially my great rivals. I have spent many hours with them and have lived many moments that I will remember for the rest of my life."
Nadal went on to thank his support team, who he said has been a very important part of his life. "They are not just co-workers, they are friends," he said, adding: "My family is everything to me."
He spoke of the "sacrifices" his mother, Ana Maria, had made - and also hailed his wife and partner of 19 years, Mery, for being by his side while on tour over the years.
"To come home and see how my son is growing every day has been a force that has really kept me alive," he said, referring to their child, Rafael Jr..
There was also a nod to his uncle and former coach, Toni Nadal, who he said, "is the reason I started playing tennis", and to his father, Sebastian Nadal, who he described as a, "source of inspiration. And finally you, the fans," he said. "I can't thank you enough for what you have made me feel. You have given me the energy I have needed at every moment."
"Really, everything I have experienced has been a dream come true," Nadal added.
"I leave with the absolute peace of mind of having given my best, of having made an effort in every way.
"I can only end by saying a thousand thanks to all - and see you soon."
Rafael Nadal career stats:
- 22 Grand Slams titles - 14 French Opens, 4 U.S. Opens; 2 Australian Opens and 2 Wimbledon crowns.
- 92 ATP Tour titles, including 36 Masters 1000 crowns. 63 of his titles came on clay.
- 1 Olympic gold medal in singles - 2008; 1 gold in doubles in 2016.
- 5 Davis Cup titles - 2004; 2008; 2009; 2011; 2019
- Weeks as world number one: 209
- Number one in the world at the end of 2008; 2010; 2013; 2017 & 2019
- Nadal holds the longest single-surface win streak in the Open Era, having won 81 consecutive matches on clay between April 2005 and May 2007.
- Nadal is the only player to win four Grand Slam titles without dropping a set (2008, 2010, 2017 and 2020 French Opens), surpassing the prior record of three held by Bjorn Borg.
- Nadal is the third male player to win over US$100 million in prize money after Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.
Grand Slam comparison with Big 3:
Novak Djokovic - 24 Grand Slams
Rafael Nadal - 22 Grand Slams
Roger Federer - 20 Grand Slams
ATP title comparison with Big 3:
Federer - 103 titles
Djokovic - 99 titles
Nadal - 92 titles
Upon hearing of the news of the retirement, there's been an outpour of praise for Nadal. Long time rival and friend, Roger Federer, took to the comments of Nadal's post to pay tribute. "What a career, Rafa," he wrote. "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 honour!"
Coco Gauff also commented on the post, saying, "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 the next chapter."
Carlos Alcaraz, Ons Jabeur, Ben Stiller and more big names from the sports world and beyond gave Nadal his well-deserved flowers on social media. Ons Jabeur wrote on X, "Thank you @RafaelNadal for inspiring me and all of us ❤️🙏You will be missed 😢❤️."
Current No. 1 ranked men's tennis player, Jannik Sinner, also wrote on X, "Thank you @RafaelNadal for everything you have given to the sport. To have the chance to spend a few weeks training with you a few years ago is something I’ll never forget. To watch you work as an athlete but also get to know you as a person off the court was even more special. A true legend of the game who paved the way and taught so many of us how to be as a player and as a person. You will be missed on the tour!"
Across two X posts, tennis star, Nick Kyrgios, wrote, "Rafa don’t retire I wanna play you 1 last time. We had our differences but you were one hell of a warrior. Best wishes and goodluck with whatever comes next."
Nadal's game was physical in a way we hadn't really seen: The way he seemed to put 100% effort into every point of every match and the otherworldly torque and spin he put on his shots seemed nearly superhuman.
In this sport, the Slams are what we remember most. Let's commemorate his career by looking back at all 22 of his Slam titles, ranking them by both match quality and overall significance.
22-21. 2017 Roland Garros & U.S. Open. After a 2016 wrist injury, Nadal charged back, reaching three Slam finals in 2017 and winning two. First, he rolled through his most dominant fortnight at Roland Garros, dropping only 35 total games in seven matches and offering Wawrinka, the 2015 French Open champion, nary a single ounce of hope.
After a fourth-round exit at Wimbledon, he found himself the top seed in the U.S. Open. After losing the first set to Juan Martin del Potro in the semis, he again hit fifth gear, dropping just 15 games in his next six sets and claiming his third U.S. Open title.
20-19. 2018 Roland Garros and 2019 Roland Garros. In an alternate universe, in which Nadal had chosen golf over tennis, Dominic Thiem might have retired with at least a couple of French Open titles. The Austrian reached the 2018 final by surviving early tests from Stefanos Tsitsipas and Kei Nishikori and taking advantage of Djokovic's upset loss to Marco Cecchinato in the quarter-final. In 2019, Thiem outlasted Djokovic in a spectacular five-set semi-final. In both instances, Thiem had little to no hope against Nadal in the final. Nadal controlled most of their 2018 battle and while Thiem gave him hell for the first two sets in 2019, Thiem collapsed soon after.
18. 2013 Roland Garros. Simply reaching the final was the hard part. Nadal had missed the two previous Slams with a knee injury and he had to survive five long sets against the top-seeded Djokovic in the semi-final; winning 9-7 in the fifth. When he was up against his 31-year-old fellow countryman, David Ferrer, Nadal cruised. Ferrer broke his serve three times but held serve on only five of 13 tries.
17. 2010 Wimbledon. From 2006 to 2011, the best clay-courter ever mastered grass, reaching five consecutive Wimbledon finals and winning two. In 2009, Nadal had to survive five-setters in both the second and third rounds but swept the semis and final against Andy Murray and Berdych, who had conquered both Federer and Djokovic to reach the final but barely lasted two hours once there.
16. 2008 Roland Garros. Handing Federer his worst ever Slam defeat is certainly an accomplishment, even if it isn't a particularly entertaining one. Nadal moved to 28-0 all time at Roland Garros and 4-0 against Federer there, with the most one-sided final victory since 1977. Federer landed plenty of blows in this rivalry but none came in this match.
15. 2020 Roland Garros. Nadal won his only fall French Open title with ease. The tournament had been postponed until late September by COVID-19 but it did nothing to his timing. For the fourth time, he cruised through two weeks without dropping a set and Djokovic couldn't make even the slightest headway until the third set of the final.
14. 2010 Roland Garros. In 2009, Nadal lost at Roland Garros for the first time when the 24-year-old Robin Soderling blew him off the court with 61 winners in a four-set victory. Soderling managed only 22 a year later in the final. Nadal attacked Soderling's backhand and played genuinely inspired defense, even by his standards, to get his revenge.
13. 2013 US Open. Nadal hadn't won a non-clay Slam in three years when he came to New York in 2013. But he dropped only one set on the way to the final, and after getting manhandled by Djokovic in the 2011 final, he got revenge with defense. Djokovic committed 64 unforced errors to Nadal's 29, and Nadal won eight of the last nine games.
12-11. 2007 and 2006 Roland Garros. Two more French Open victories, in 2007 and 2006 and both times over Federer. Gustavo Kuerten established himself as an all-time clay great with three Roland Garros titles in 11 tries. That made it pretty staggering when Nadal moved to 3-for-4 with these two parallel runs. The No. 2 seed behind Federer both times, Nadal swept up-and-comers in the first round (Soderling in 2006, del Potro in 2007), conquered a game Lleyton Hewitt in the fourth round both times, swept Djokovic in the quarters in 2006 and the semis in 2007, then split two sets with Federer in each final before taking over.
10. 2011 Roland Garros. Federer beat Nadal twice on clay but this was easily the closest he came to doing the deed in Paris. Federer led 5-3 in the first set and came back from a break down twice in the second and once in the third but still managed to take only one of those three sets and finally cratered in the fourth. It was Federer's last French final, while Nadal won eight more titles there after.
9. 2010 U.S. Open. Nadal capped his best year - his only with three Slam titles - by vanquishing the guy who would take over the sport in 2011. While Djokovic had to survive two five-setters (including a famous semi-final win over Federer), Nadal reached the final without dropping a set. His fresh legs couldn't have hurt when he took control after the first two sets.
8. 2014 Roland Garros. Nadal had lost four in a row to Djokovic, including a three-setter on the clay in Rome and Djokovic seemed closer than ever to his first French Open title. Djokovic won the first set and overcame an early break to get to 5-5 in the second set but Nadal won 14 of the last 20 games. It was Nadal's fifth straight title in Paris - almost as stunning an accomplishment as winning 21 Slams overall - and ninth in 10 years.
7. 2012 Roland Garros. Djokovic was attempting to become the first man in 43 years to win four straight Slams but Nadal seized control early. As the weather grew sloppy, Djokovic took over, winning the third set with ease and snaring an early break in the fourth. The weather grew too inclement. Rain postponed the match until Monday and Nadal recovered, winning five of the last seven games.
6. 2005 Roland Garros. It all had to start somewhere and this was it, at the French Open, in 2005. Nadal enjoyed a massive rise in 2004 and more than backed up the burgeoning hype in Paris. He took down Federer in a four-set semi-final then met the unseeded, 26-year old Mariano Puerta (who would soon receive a doping ban). Puerta took the opening-set tie-breaker 8-6 but Nadal blazed through the next two sets, saved two set points in the fourth and took his first title with a service break.
5. 2019 U.S. Open. Daniil Medvedev took advantage of upset losses by Djokovic and Federer to advance to his first Slam final at age 23 and after dropping two sets and a break to Nadal, the Russian found his footing. He took the third and fourth sets and created three break points up 1-0 in the fifth. However, Nadal saved them, broke twice (giving one of the breaks back), saved one last break point at 5-4 and won the match after nearly five hours.
4. 2009 Australian Open. Nadal and Federer played six five-setters in their long rivalry, each winning three. But this was Nadal's second such win in a three-Slam period, prompting Federer to say, "God, this is killing me," to the crowd afterward. Nadal won 104 points to Federer's 103 and created fewer break points but Nadal won the key points over and over and took what was his first of only two Aussie crowns.
3-2. 2022 Roland Garros and 2022 Australian Open. It felt for a while that Nadal's 2020 French Open crown, his 20th overall, would be his last. He got mowed over in four sets by Djokovic in the 2021 French Open - a match that felt like a final, begrudging passing of the torch as Djokovic found a completely new gear - and then missed most of the back half of the year with injury. Even when Djokovic was prevented from competing in the 2022 Australian Open due to his refusal to vaccinate for COVID-19, it was hard to envision Nadal taking the mantle back for a while. But that's exactly what he did.
As the No. 6 seed in Melbourne, he survived a five-set epic against Denis Shapovalov, almost blowing a two-set lead in the process, then outlasted Matteo Berrettini in four. However, against Medvedev, the reigning U.S. Open champion, in the final, he looked over matched. Medvedev won the first set handily and survived a tie-breaker to go up two sets. Down 2-3 and love-40 in the third, Nadal went into Grind Mode one last time. He won 28 of 43 points with nine-plus shots in the last three sets and survived a momentary fifth-set glitch - he was broken while serving for the title at 5-4 - by breaking serve one last time. When Medvedev couldn't return his net approach on match point, Nadal didn't even collapse; he just laughed and stared in disbelief at those in his player box.
That was a stunner, even by the 35-year-old's standards, and a match that would have easily ranked No. 1 on this list had the greatest match of all time not been first instead.
The French Open win was less of a surprise but almost equally impressive. While battling a foot condition that required him to get injections that left his foot numb for two weeks, he plowed through the field at Roland Garros one last time. He survived a five-setter against Felix Auger-Aliassime in the fourth round, took down Djokovic in four sets in the quarters and advanced past Alexander Zverev in the semis when Zverev went down with a nasty ankle injury. Poor Casper Ruud had absolutely no chance in the final. In their first ever meeting, the match was over before Ruud could even get his footing.
1. 2008 Wimbledon. The 2008 Wimbledon final likely remains the greatest match ever played. After losing to Federer in five sets in the 2007 final, Nadal beat the greatest grass-courter ever on his own surface. Nadal saved 12 of 13 break points in the match and overcame a 1-4 deficit in the second set but dropped tie-breakers by scores of 7-5 and 10-8.
Neither player could break serve in the fifth set, until Nadal did it at 7-7; Federer saved three break points in the game, two via aces but he overcooked an approach shot, handing Nadal an 8-7 lead; Nadal served it out from there. The greatness of this match overcomes the epic significance of the 2022 Australian Open final, if only by a small margin.
A True legend is leaving the game behind. It will be hard to forget about him. Due to his reputation, I'm sure he'll be able to do whatever he wants. His performances will last a lifetime. I'm sure his legacy will soon be immortalised soon enough. This could take shape in any form, perhaps, for example, a statue.