Rafael Nadal Announces Retirement After Historic Career

Rafael Nadal announced his retirement from professional tennis after a remarkable 23-year career with his final appearance set for the Davis Cup Finals in November. At 38, Nadal retires as the second-most successful men’s singles player in history having achieved incredible milestones since turning professional in 2001 at the age of 15. Over his career, he spent a staggering 2,543 hours on court across 1,307 ATP matches securing victory in 1,080 of them.

Nadal claimed his first title in 2004 in Sopot, Poland, and broke into the top 10 in 2005, where he remained for a record 912 consecutive weeks. His illustrious career includes 91 ATP titles, 22 Grand Slam victories—14 French Opens, four US Opens and two each at Wimbledon and the Australian Open. His 2010 US Open victory made him the youngest player in the Open era to complete the ‘career Grand Slam.’

Coupled with his Olympic singles gold medal from Beijing 2008, he achieved a ‘career golden Grand Slam,’ a feat accomplished by only four other players. Despite his success, Nadal missed 15 major tournaments due to injury or illness, compared to Federer’s six and Djokovic’s one in recent years. His rivalry with Federer, lasting over 15 years and consisting of 40 encounters showcased their contrasting styles and mutual respect.

With Federer retired and Nadal nearing the end of his career, Djokovic remains the last member of the ‘Big Three.’ Known as the King of Clay, Nadal dominated the French Open with 14 titles losing only three matches in 116 appearances. However, the ATP Finals remain elusive, as he never lifted that trophy across 11 attempts.

Overall, while Rafael Nadal is often viewed as the greatest clay-court player, he ranks fifth for the most ATP titles and is second in Grand Slam victories, trailing Djokovic.