Rafael Nadal retires from professional tennis
The 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal is retiring from professional tennis after the Davis Cup finals in November. This was announced by the legendary Spanish tennis player with a touching video on his social media accounts.
“Hello everyone. I am here to tell you that I am retiring from professional tennis. The truth is, the last few years have been very difficult, especially the last two. I couldn’t play without experiencing problems. It’s a very difficult decision and it took me a long time to make it, but I think now is the right time to end a very successful career. I am very excited that the last tournament of my career will be the Davis Cup finals where I will represent my country. The first big excitement in my career was the 2004 Davis Cup final in Seville”, says Rafael Nadal in the video. “I feel very lucky because of the things I’ve been through in my career. Thank you to everyone in the tennis industry – my longtime colleagues, especially my biggest opponents. I spent many hours with them and will remember them for a lifetime. My headquarters has a very important part in my life. They are not just my colleagues, they are my friends. They have been by my side throughout my professional journey and I am very grateful to them for the moments when they kept me going.”, added he.
Rafael Nadal is a 22-time “Grand Slam” champion, has 92 ATP Tour titles, 36 of which are from the ATP Masters 1000 series. He also has an Olympic gold medal from Beijing 2008, being one of three tennis players with a Career Golden Slam (the four “Slams” and gold from the Olympics), along with Andre Agassi and Novak Djokovic.
“Family is everything to me. My mother – she made a lot of sacrifices so that we could have everything we needed. My wife – Mary, we have been married for 19 years and I thank her for everything she has done for me. To my son who continues to grow and be the force that keeps me alive. My sister, with whom we have always had an amazing relationship”, said also the 22-time Grand Slam champion. “My uncle, because of whom I started playing tennis. Thanks to him, I was able to go through very difficult situations in my career. To my father, who is a source of motivation for me. Finally, I want to thank you, the fans. You gave me the energy I needed at every important moment. Everything I went through was like a dream come true. I leave with peace and tranquility that I did my best. Thank you very much and see you again”, finished Rafael Nadal.
Thus, Rafael Nadal’s last tournament will be the Davis Cup finals, which will be held from November 19 to 24 in Malaga. In the quarterfinals, Nadal and Spain will face the Netherlands. The winner will play either Germany or Canada in the semi-finals, with reigning champions Italy, Argentina, USA and Australia at the final.
Rafael Nadal ends his great career at the age of 38.
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