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'What a career': From Federer to Alcaraz, tributes pour in after Nadal announces retirement

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Oct 10, 2024, 10:57 AM ET

Rafael Nadal, one of the greatest tennis players of all time, has announced his retirement.

The 38-year-old legend, who won 22 Grand Slam titles over the course of his 23-year career, posted a video on his social media accounts saying his final tournament would be this year’s Davis Cup, where he’ll be playing for his home country of Spain next month.

“I’m here to let you know that I am retiring from professional tennis,” Nadal said. “The reality is that it has been some difficult years, these two especially. I don’t think I have been able to play without limitations. It is obviously a difficult decision, one that takes 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.”

Nadal has had a number of health issues leading up to his retirement. He has Mueller-Weiss syndrome in his foot — a condition that saw him use numbing injections to get through the 2022 French Open — and has struggled with abdominal injuries in the past couple of years.

Longtime rival and friend Roger Federer took to the comments of Nadal’s post to pay tribute.

“What a career, Rafa,” he wrote. “I always hoped this day would never come. Thank you for the unforgettable memories and all your incredible achievements in the game we love. It’s been an absolute honour!”

Coco Gauff also commented on the post, saying “You are amazing! It’s been so incredible to witness your greatness and work ethic and be able to learn from it. Wishing you all the best in the next chapter.”

Carlos Alcaraz, Ons Jabeur, Ben Stiller and more big names from the sports world and beyond gave Nadal his well-deserved flowers on social media.


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