Rafael Nadal, the undisputed king of clay who has contributed to writing some of the most memorable pages in the history of tennis since 2001, announced Thursday that he was retiring at the age of 38, at the head of a list of winners phenomenal, including 22 Grand Slam titles.
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“Everything in life has a beginning and an end and I think the time has come to end my career, which has been long and more successful than I could have imagined,” he declared in a video posted on his X account.
Let down by his body over the last two seasons, during which he had increased physical problems, he nevertheless clarified that he would still compete in one last competition, namely the Davis Cup final scheduled for Malaga next month.
“I am very excited about my last tournament being the Davis Cup Final, and representing my country there. I think it’s a way of coming full circle when one of my first great joys as a professional player was the final” of this event, won in 2004 in Seville, added the Mallorcan.
Warrior
Two years after Roger Federer (retired since September 2022), the Spaniard in turn leaves the circuit, leaving Novak Djokovic orphaned at 37 by his two main rivals.
His last match dates back to the Paris Olympic Games, on the clay court of Roland-Garros, where he wrote the greatest pages of his history for almost 20 years.
Very far from his best physical level, due to not having been able to play enough since his return to the courts in January, he exploded in the second round against Djokovic 6-1, 6-4, his physical wear and tear having become glaring.
Like Federer, Nadal leaves a huge hole in the world of tennis, given his track record, but also his warrior personality so appreciated by the public.
Born on June 3, 1986 in Manacor, on the island of Majorca, Rafa left football at a young age for tennis, where he was guided for almost his entire career by his uncle Toni.
– Child of clay – Raised on clay, it is on this surface that he built his legend: he won Roland-Garros 14 times in 18 participations, breaking records, and won 112 matches there for four defeats and one forfeit.
The second most successful player at Roland Garros, Björn Borg, has six titles and the second most successful player in the same Grand Slam tournament is Djokovic (10 times the Australian Open).
But Nadal has also distinguished himself on all other surfaces: with Djokovic, they are the only players in the Open era (since 1968) to have won each of the four Grand Slam tournaments at least twice.
And the Mallorcan was involved in the most memorable finals of the Australian Open and Wimbledon, as well as one of the most memorable of the US Open.
In Melbourne, he lost the longest final ever played in a Major, in 2012 against Djokovic (5:53). At Wimbledon, in 2008, he ended Federer’s run of five titles after a match that ended after dark.
At Flushing Meadows, he stopped Daniil Medvedev’s comeback in 2019 to win his fourth and final New York title in five rounds.
Incurable pain
No stranger to exploits, he was handicapped throughout his career by injuries. Most of them are linked to his ultra-physical game (elbow, knees, wrist, back, ribs, abdominals). But since the age of 18 he has also suffered from pain in his left foot which flares up and can become unbearable. This pain, which is pathological, rare, incurable and degenerative, is known as Müller-Weiss syndrome.
She almost ended his career in 2021: beaten in the semi-finals at Roland-Garros by Djokovic, he had hardly played all year.
His return to the highest level in 2022 has largely contributed to his legend.
By winning the Australian Open, after being led two sets to zero in the final by Medvedev, he brought to 21 the record for Grand Slam titles that he shared until then with Federer (20). Then, a few months later, at Roland-Garros, his foot anesthetized to feel less pain, he pushed the record to 22.
Selected to be one of the final bearers of the Olympic flame during the opening ceremony on July 26, proof of his prestige in Paris and around the world, Rafael Nadal has always said that tennis was not the most important in his life. life. He will now be able to devote himself to Xisca, married in 2019, and to their son Rafael, born October 8, 2022.
Rafael Nadal’s main statements when announcing his retirement from sports
“I am here to tell you that I am leaving professional tennis”: here are the main extracts from the announcement, in a video, by Rafael Nadal of his retirement from sport:
- “The reality is the last few years have been tough, especially the last two. This is obviously a difficult decision that took me a while to make.”
- “I think my career has been long and more successful than I could have ever imagined. I am very excited that my last tournament will be the Davis Cup final, and that I will represent my country there. I think it’s come full circle, because one of my first great joys as a professional tennis player was the Seville final in 2004.”
- “I want (…) to particularly thank my great rivals. I spent a lot of hours with them and I experienced a lot of moments that I will remember for the rest of my life.”
- “Talking about my team (his staff, editor’s note) is a little more difficult for me because in the end, my team has been an important part of my life. They were by my side during all the times I needed them: very difficult times, very beautiful times, times when I needed to be pushed and times when I needed to no more respite.”
- “My uncle (Toni Nadal, editor’s note) is the reason I started playing tennis. Thanks to him, I was able to overcome many difficult situations in my sporting career.”
- “And finally, you, the fans. I can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve made me feel. You gave me the energy I needed at all times.”
- “Really, everything I’ve experienced has been a dream come true. I leave with absolute peace of mind to have given the best of myself, in all areas, so I can only end by saying a thousand thanks to everyone and see you soon.”
