One of the greatest tennis players of all time, Rafael Nadal has announced his retirement from the sport. In an emotional video, the 22-time Grand Slam champion bid farewell to the game in which he built his stature as one of the most loved sportspersons of all time. The Davis Cup final 8 for Spain will be Nadal’s last outing as a professional tennis player, to be held in November. Nadal remains one of the most decorated sportspersons of all time. Of the 22 Grand Slam titles he has won, the Spaniard clinched record 14 French Open titles.

Nadal also has a total of 92 ATP singles titles to his name, including 36 Masters titles as well as an Olympic gold medal. Nadal also holds the unique record of being one of three men tennis history to complete the Career Golden Slam in singles. He announced the retirement news with an emotional video on social media. 

“I am retiring from professional tennis. The reality is that it has been some difficult years, these last two especially,” Nadal said in the video. “It is obviously a difficult decision, one that has taken me some time to make. But in this life everything has a beginning and an end.”

Last month, Nadal had pulled out of the Laver Cup 2024, which was set to be his final event on court as a professional. Following the Paris 2024 Olympics, Nadal had confirmed Laver Cup will be his next event for 2024.

Berlin would have been Nadal’s fourth Laver Cup appearance, having competed in Prague in 2017, Geneva in 2019, and then alongside close friend and long-time rival Roger Federer in doubles, for the last match of Federer’s career at The O2 in London in 2022.

The 22-time Grand Slam Champion had earlier hinted that 2024 may be his last year on tour.

Nadal has a 12-7 match record on the season and last competed at the Paris Olympics, where he fell in the second round to Novak Djokovic.