Rafael Nadal announces his retirement from tennis in a heartbreaking video. ‘A Difficult Decision’

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Rafael Nadal declared his retirement from tennis.

In an emotional video released on X (previously known as Twitter) on Thursday, Oct. 10, the 38-year-old 22-time Grand Slam champion stated that he is retiring from tennis and that his final match will be the November Davis Cup final in Malaga, Spain.

“The reality is that it has been some difficult years, especially these last two,” he said in the video, which featured English subtitles. “I don’t think I’ve ever been able to play without constraints. It is a tough decision, and it has taken me some time to make. However, in this world, everything begins and has an end. And I believe it is time to terminate a long, successful career that has exceeded my expectations.”

The sports legend said how important the Davis Cup is to him and how it is a perfect way to end his career. “I think I’ve come full circle since one of my first great joys as a professional tennis player was the Davis Cup final in Sevilla in 2004,” he remarked as footage of Spain winning the tournament played on the screen.

“I feel super, super lucky for all the things I’ve been able to experience,” Nadal said, before thanking the whole tennis business and his “great rivals,” particularly Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.

“I have lived many moments that I will remember for the rest of my life,” he told reporters.

Nadal then praised his staff—which he described as “a little bit more difficult for me”—and his family, whom he regarded as “everything to me.”

Besides paying tribute to his mother Ana, father Sebastián, sister Maribel, and uncle Toni, the athlete also honored his wife, Mery “Xisxa” Perelló, and their two-year-old child. Mery, we’ve been together for 19 years. “Thank you for what you’ve done. I think you’ve been the ideal travel partner throughout my career,” he replied. “To come home and see how my son is growing every day has been a force that has kept me alive and with the necessary energy to continue.”

The video then transitioned to images of his son sprinting around a tennis court, holding a racket, and watching from the sidelines beside his mother.

The video, which featured numerous moments from his career, ended with Nadal thanking his supporters. “I cannot thank you enough for how you have made me feel.” “You have always provided me with the energy I needed,” he said, adding, “Everything I’ve experienced has been a realization of my dreams.”

Nadal’s declaration comes after he withdrew from the 2024 US Open in August, claiming he would not have been “able to give [his] 100% this time.” The tennis star has won the competition in 2010, 2013, 2017, and 2019.

The tournament took place after the 2024 Paris Olympics, where Nadal and his doubles partner Carlos Alcaraz lost in the quarterfinals on July 31.

Nadal won his first Grand Slam as a teenager, the French Open in 2005, only two days after turning 19. He went on to win the event 13 more times, the most recent in 2022.

The Spanish star also won Wimbledon twice (in 2008 and 2010), as well as the Australian Open twice.

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