Rafael Nadal, the tennis legend who garnered 22 Grand Slam titles throughout his career, announced his retirement to thousands of fans and fellow players on social media.
Headlines of “There will never be another Rafael Nadal” have been pouring in as fans, news outlets, and fellow players are mourning the star tennis player’s recent retirement announcement. Nadal took to Instagram on October 10 to announce that he will be retiring after the finals of the Davis Cup 2024 in November. The video, which has already gained more than three million views, is followed by a slew of tribute posts celebrating the sporting legend’s career and mourning the unexpected loss of one of tennis’ finest.
“The reality is that it has been some difficult years, these last two especially,” he explains in the post. “I don’t think I have been able to play without limitations. 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. 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.”
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A Champion Unlike Any Other
“Successful” seems a small word to describe Nadal’s accomplishments and warm reception from fans, both in and out of the court. Many will remember the player for having earned 22 Grand Slam titles throughout his career. The player has also won singles and doubles gold for his home country of Spain in the Olympics, as well as five Davis Cup titles, reports Matias Grez of CNN.
Without a doubt, Nadal stands as one of the greatest tennis players of all time, and certainly one who has earned the fortune he’s made through the sport. Megan Cerullo of CBS gave rough estimates of how much Nadal has earned throughout his career through prize money and brand partnerships. The former is likely around $135 million across the 1,080 matches he has won (he only lost 227), while the latter is at an estimated $23.3 million. In fact, as recently as 2024, Nadal found himself as the sixth highest-paid tennis player in the world.
However, as is natural with those who have been in the game for very long, Nadal has been experiencing sports-related injuries for the past few years, likely the reason why he has decided to retire in acknowledgement of his physical limitations.
Tennis Tributes
Thousands of fans, friends, and fellow tennis players have commented on Nadal’s touching video announcement. Leading the string of tributes on social media are none other than his longtime rivals Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, who with Nadal, comprised the “Big Three” of the tennis world, with no other players matching their level of prowess and success so far.
“Rafa, one post is not enough to express the respect I have for you and what you have done for our sport. You have inspired millions of children to start playing tennis and I think that’s probably [the] greatest achievement anyone can wish for,” Djokovic writes in an X post. “Your tenacity, dedication, fighting spirit is going to be taught for decades. Your legacy will live forever. Only you know what you had to endure to become [an] icon of tennis and sport in general.”
“What a career, Rafa! I always hoped this day would never come,” expressed Federer in a statement reported by Harry Poole of BBC Sports. “Thank you for the unforgettable memories and all your incredible achievements in the game we love. It’s been an absolute honor.”
While Nadal, Federer, and Djokovic were rivals on the court, they were friends outside of it, and steadfast proponents of true sportsmanship. It is as Nadal describes in his video: “I feel super, super lucky for all the things I’ve been able to experience. I want to thank the entire tennis industry, all the people involved in this sport: my long-time colleagues, especially my great rivals. I have spent many, many hours with them, and I have lived many moments that I will remember for the rest of my life.”
Banner photo via Instagram @rafaelnadal.
