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After 23 years, 22 grand slam victories, two Olympic gold medals, and one incredible legacy, Rafael Nadal announced the end of his legendary tennis career on Thursday.
Nadal shared a video on social media announcing his intent to retire following the Spain’s Davis Cup match against the Netherlands from Nov. 19-21.
“Hello everyone, I’m here to let you know that I am retiring from professional tennis,” Nadal said in the video. “The reality is that is has been some difficult years, these last two especially. 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 the appropriate time to put an end to a career that has been long and much more successful than I could have ever imagined.”
Nadal rose to fame as a clay court specialist early in his career. He won his first grand slam at the French Open in 2005 and soon began to dominate the tournament.
The Spaniard won four straight French Opens from 2005-2008 before winning his first grand slam on grass at Wimbledon in 2008. He then followed that up with his first on a hard court in 2009 at the Australian Open and completed the career grand slam in 2010 at the US Open.
But through it all, he remained the best clay court player the world has ever seen. In total, Nadal won a jaw-dropping 14 French Open championships, including nine of 10 from 2005-2022.
He retires as the second most-decorated player of all-time when it comes to Grand Slam victories with 22, behind only Novak Djokovic with 24.
His rivalries with Djokovic and Roger Federer shaped an entire generation of tennis fans and he retires as an absolute icon in the sport.
Current world No. 1, Carlos Alcaraz, called his countryman his childhood hero. He’s certainly not alone.