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Rafael Nadal to retire from tennis after Davis Cup 2024 finals

Published at :October 10, 2024 at 6:19 PM
Modified at :October 10, 2024 at 6:19 PM
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(Courtesy : Getty Images)

Mohammed Fazeel

Rafael Nadal will play his final match in Malaga, Spain.

Rafael Nadal has announced that he is set to call time on his career. The 38-year-old will take a final bow when he makes an appearance for Spain at the Davis Cup Finals 2024 in Malaga. The Davis Cup Finals are scheduled for November 19-24.

Nadal’s career will come to a close on home soil in Malaga, where he will play alongside the Spain Davis Cup team, which includes Carlos Alcaraz. The hosts will take on the Netherlands in their quarter-final tie. The veteran took to X to announce his decision to retire, as injuries had taken a toll on his body.

Rafael Nadal’s legacy on clay

The Spaniard’s favourite surface was clay and he dominated the red dirt at Roland-Garros by winning 14 French Open titles. He never missed a single edition between 2005 and 2022. He bookended both years by winning the French Open crown. The 2005 edition was his debut year in Paris and now it is clear that 2022 was his last victory at Roland-Garros.

The 14-time French Open champion, who has been struggling with injuries since the start of the 2023 season, made his final appearance at Roland-Garros in 2024. He lost to Alexander Zverev in straight sets during the opening round of this year’s French Open.

Only thrice was the Spaniard stretched to five sets in Paris – against John Isner (2011, first round), Novak Djokovic (2013, semi-finals), Felix Auger-Aliassime (2022, fourth round).

Also Read: Rafael Nadal’s Career in Numbers: Records, Stats and Titles

Thanks to Nadal’s 14 French Open singles titles, he was dubbed the ‘King of Clay.’ The 112 wins by the former World No. 1 on the clay courts of Roland-Garros make him the player with the most match wins at a single men’s singles Grand Slam event in the Open Era. 

Nadal has won the Australian Open and Wimbledon twice. He is also a four-time US Open champion. The Mallorcan has also won the Olympic singles (Beijing 2008) and doubles gold (Rio 2016). With Nadal as part of the Davis Cup squad, Spain won five Davis Davis Cup titles, most recently in 2019.

Nadal spent 209 weeks as World No. 1, 56 of them consecutively and is sixth on the list of players with the most weeks at No. 1 in the ATP rankings. He was also year-end No. 1 five times. His haul of 22 Grand Slam wins makes him the second in the all-time list among men.

Wishes pour in for Rafael Nadal after retirement post

On hearing of his retirement, fellow players had only good things to say about Rafael Nadal. Ons Jabeur and Katie Boulter were among the first to post on their official Twitter (X) handles.

“Thank you for inspiring me and all of us. You will be missed,” went up on Jabeur’s Twitter handle soon after. Katie Boulter followed up with a, “Nope, I/we refuse this application to retire.”

The official handle of Roland-Garros had this to say, “14 thanks for the millions of memories.”

Finally, the ATP Tour put forth their own message for Rafael Nadal. “Thank you for everything Rafa, it’s been nothing short of incredible.”

After 23 years, the ATP Tour will bid goodbye to a gladiator who never gave up on and off the court. His records and mental strength will serve as an inspiration to the fans and his fellow players. Nadal’s legacy will keep on influencing multiple generations, as his retirement will change the sport forever.

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