Rafael Nadal will bring down the curtain on his career next month as he plays his final event – the Davis Cup Final – at home in Spain.
The 38-year-old with 22 Grand Slam titles – 14 at Roland Garros spanning 2005-2022 – made the announcement on Thursday in a social media video.
“Hello everyone. I’m here to let you know that I am retiring from professional tennis,” he Spaniard said.
.“The reality is that it has been some difficult years, these last two especially I don’t think I’ve been able to play without limitations.
“It is obviously a difficult decision, one that has taken me some time to make.”
He added: “But in this life, everything has a beginning and 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.”
Nadal has spent the last few seasons sidelined frequently with a variety of injuries.
He played his last ATP match in the final at Bastad, Sweden last July and also reached the second round at the Paris Olympics, losing to longtime rival Novak Djokovic, last of the Big still playing after Nadal’s revelation.
Nadal is expected to receive an emotional home sendoff at the Davis Finals to be played in November in Malaga.
