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

• Four-time US Open champion Rafael Nadal announced his retirement in an emotional video posted on X on Thursday, October 10
• Nadal described it as “a difficult decision and a decision that took me a long time”
• The tennis star has won 22 Grand Slam titles, including the French Open 14 times, most recently in 2022.

Rafael Nadal announced his retirement from tennis.

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

“The reality is that it’s been a tough few years, especially these last two,” he began in the video, which had English subtitles. “I don’t think I could play without restrictions. Obviously, it’s a difficult decision and it took me a long time. But in this life everything has a beginning and an end. And I think this is an appropriate time to put an end to a career that has been long and far more successful than I could have ever imagined.”

The sports star went on to point out how special the Davis Cup is to him and how he sees it as a fitting way to end his career. “I think I’ve come full circle because one of my first great joys as a professional tennis player was the Davis Cup final in Seville in 2004,” he said as footage of Spain winning the title appeared on the screen.

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“I feel super, super lucky because of all the things I’ve been able to experience,” Nadal continued, before going on to thank the entire tennis industry and his “big rivals,” especially Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.

“I experienced many moments that I will remember for the rest of my life,” he added.

Nadal then thanked his team – something he said was “a bit harder for me” – and his family, whom he described as “everything for me”.

Rafael Nadal at the French Open 2005.

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Besides thanking his mother Ana, father Sebastián, sister Maribel and uncle Toni, the athlete paid tribute to his wife Mery “Xisxa” Perelló and their two-year-old son.

“Mery, we have been together for 19 years. Thank you for everything you’ve done. I think you have been the perfect companion during all these years of my career,” he said. “Coming home and seeing my son grow every day was the force that really kept me alive and with the energy to keep going.”

Rafael Nadal’s wife Mery “Xisxa” Perelló and their son.

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

The video, which includes various highlights of his career, ended with Nadal thanking his fans. “I can’t thank you enough for what you’ve done to make me feel. You gave me the energy I needed at all times,” he said, adding, “Really, everything I experienced was a dream come true.”

Nadal’s announcement comes after he withdrew from the 2024 US Open in August, saying he believed he would not be able to [his] This time 100%.” The tennis star previously won the tournament in 2010, 2013, 2017 and 2019.

Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon. Victoria Jones/PA Images via Getty

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The tournament follows the 2024 Paris Olympics, where Nadal and doubles partner Carlos Alcaraz were knocked out in the quarter-finals on 31 July.

Nadal secured his first Grand Slam as a teenager, winning the 2005 French Open just two days after turning 19. Furthermore, he won the tournament 13 more times, the last time in 2022.

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

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Source: HIS Education