Rafael Nadal Announces His Retirement from Tennis in Emotional Video: 'A Difficult Decision'

10/10/2024 06:04 AM

"In this life, everything has a beginning and an end," the 22-time Grand Slam champion said

Rafael Nadal has announced his retirement from tennis. 

In an emotional video posted on X (formerly known as Twitter) on Thursday, Oct. 10, the 22-time Grand Slam champion, 38, confirmed he's hanging up his racket and that his last tournament will be the final of the Davis Cup in Malaga, Spain in November. 

"The reality is that it has been some difficult years, especially these last two," he began in the video, which had English subtitles. "I don't think I have been able to play without limitations. It is obviously a difficult decision and 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 an appropriate time to put an end to a career that has been long and much more successful than I could have ever imagined."

The sports star went on to note how special the Davis Cup is to him and how he sees it as a fitting way to see out his career. "I think I've come full circle since one of my first great joys as a professional tennis player was the Davis Cup final in Sevilla in 2004," he said as footage flashed up on the screen of Spain taking the title. 

Mil gracias a todos
Many thanks to all
Merci beaucoup à tous
Grazie mille à tutti
谢谢大家
شكرا لكم جميعا
תודה לכולכם
Obrigado a todos
Vielen Dank euch allen
Tack alla
Хвала свима
Gràcies a tots pic.twitter.com/7yPRs7QrOi

— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) October 10, 2024

Related: Rafael Nadal Pulls Out of Another Tournament as His Injuries Continue: 'My Body Simply Won't Allow Me'

"I feel super, super lucky for all the things I've been able to experience," Nadal continued, before going on to thank the entire tennis industry and his "great rivals," notably Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. 

"I have lived many moments that I will remember for the rest of my life," he added. 

Nadal then thanked his team — something he said is "a little bit more difficult for me" — and his family, who he described as "everything to me." 

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As well as thanking his mother Ana, father Sebastián, sister Maribel and uncle Toni, the athlete paid tribute to his wife, Mery "Xisxa" Perelló, and their 2-year-old son. 

"Mery, we have been together for 19 years. Thank you for everything you have done. I think you've been the perfect travel companion during all these years of my career," he said. "To come home and see how my son is growing every day has been a force that has really kept me alive and with the necessary energy to continue."

Related: Rafael Nadal's Son Watches Dad at the 2024 French Open — and He Has His Own Mini Tennis Racket!

The screen then switched to footage of his son running across a tennis court with a racket in hand and watching from the sidelines with his mom.  

The video, which included various highlights of his career, concluded with Nadal thanking his fans. "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," he said, adding, "Really, everything I have experienced has been a dream come true." 

Nadal's announcement comes after he dropped out of the 2024 U.S. Open in August, saying he believed he wouldn't have been "able to give [his] 100% this time." The tennis star previously won the tournament in 2010, 2013, 2017 and 2019.

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The tournament followed the 2024 Paris Olympics, which saw Nadal and doubles partner Carlos Alcaraz knocked out in the quarterfinals on July 31. 

Nadal secured his first Grand Slam as a teenager, winning the French Open in 2005 just two days after he turned 19. He went on to win the tournament another 13 times, most recently in 2022. 

The Spanish star also won Wimbledon twice, in 2008 and 2010, and the Australian Open twice.

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