Rafael Nadal Announces Retirement From Tennis In Emotional Video

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The tennis world has known for quite some time that its days were very much numbered watching 22-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal take the court, and now, the Spaniard has put a definitive date on his retirement.

Nadal announced on Thursday that he will be retiring from professional tennis after representing Spain in the Davis Cup in November. He previously suggested that 2024 could be his final season on the ATP Tour, but had not made an official announcement until sharing the news on social media. 

The King of Clay explained that the last two years have been especially difficult for him as he's battled injuries.

"The reality is that it has been some difficult years, these last two especially," Nadal said in the emotional video. "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."

"I feel super, super lucky for all the things I’ve been able to experience. I want to thank the entire tennis industry, all the people involved in this sport, my long-time colleagues, especially my great rivals. I have spent many, many hours with them, and I have lived many moments that I will remember for the rest of my life," he continued.

Nadal, a 14-time winner of the French Open, is now the second member of ‘The Big 3’ to call it quits after Roger Federer retired from the game in 2022. The last man standing in the historically phenomenal trio is Novak Djokovic.

Nadal's final run at the professional level will begin on November 19 when the Davis Cup finals begin in Malaga, Spain.

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Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the world of professional golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee. He somehow survived living in Knoxville despite ‘Rocky Top’ being his least favorite song ever written. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets including SB Nation, The Spun, and BroBible. Mark was also a writer for the Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate in 2016 when the team won the World Series. He's still waiting for his championship ring to arrive. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.