‘Your legacy won’t be matched:’ Rafael Nadal, 22-time Grand Slam winner, retires

Rafael Nadal is retiring from professional tennis, he announced Oct. 10, after winning 22 Grand Slam titles – 14 at the French Open – during an unprecedented era he shared with rivals Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.

Mr. Nadal has competed infrequently the past two seasons because of injuries and said next month’s Davis Cup finals will mark his farewell to the sport after entering just two of the past eight major tournaments.

“The reality is that it has been some difficult years, these last two, especially. I don’t think I have been able to play without limitations,” Mr. Nadal said in a video message. “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.”

Mr. Nadal’s unrelenting, physical style of play – every point pursued as though it were his last, sprinting and sliding into place for that high-bouncing bullwhip of a lefty forehand – made him one of the greats of the game and the unquestioned King of Clay.

His record 14 French Open championships are more than anyone, man or woman, won at any one of the four major tournaments, a dominance celebrated by a statue of Mr. Nadal near the main entrance to the grounds of Roland Garros and in the shadow of its main stadium, Court Philippe Chatrier.

In a result that symbolized where things stood for his career, he exited in the French Open first round this year, a straight-set loss to eventual runner-up Alexander Zverev.

Mr. Nadal returned to that site in southwest Paris for the Summer Olympics, where he lost to old rival Mr. Djokovic in the second round of singles and reached the quarterfinals of men’s doubles with Carlos Alcaraz. Mr. Nadal hasn’t played since. His goodbye will also come while representing Spain in the Davis Cup at Malaga.

“Your legacy won’t be matched,” Mr. Alcaraz, who is widely seen as Mr. Nadal’s heir in Spanish tennis, said Oct. 10. “I have enjoyed you and I will miss you very much when you retire after the Davis Cup.”

Soccer greats Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappé were among stars from the sports world also paying tribute to Mr. Nadal.

In addition to his French Open triumphs, Mr. Nadal won four trophies at the U.S. Open and two apiece at Wimbledon and the Australian Open, giving him a career Grand Slam.

“It is the appropriate time to put an end to a career that has been long and much more successful than I could have ever imagined,” Mr. Nadal said.

His last pair of major titles arrived in 2022, at Melbourne and Paris, pushing him ahead of Mr. Federer, who held the men’s record of 20 Grand Slam titles when he announced his retirement. Mr. Federer bid adieu in late 2022 by teaming with Mr. Nadal in a doubles match at the Laver Cup.

Both have since been surpassed by Mr. Djokovic, who is up to 24 majors.

So much of Mr. Nadal’s success was seen, fairly or not, through the prism of his encounters with Mr. Federer and Mr. Djokovic. The tennis world, and plenty outside of it, were consumed with the debate over which was most deserving of the “GOAT” – “Greatest Of All-Time” – moniker. The world, tennis or otherwise, was fascinated by their matchups, their differing styles, and their personalities.

Who among those who witnessed it could possibly forget Mr. Nadal vs. Mr. Federer in the 2008 Wimbledon final? Or Mr. Nadal vs. Mr. Djokovic in the 2022 French Open quarterfinals? Or Mr. Nadal vs. Mr. Djokovic in the 2012 Australian Open final? And so on.

Mr. Nadal played Mr. Djokovic 60 times, a record for two men in the Open era; Mr. Djokovic leads 31-29 overall, while Mr. Nadal leads 5-4 in Slam finals.

“You have inspired millions of children to start playing tennis and I think that’s probably [the] greatest achievement anyone can wish for,” Novak Djokovic said on Instagram. “Your tenacity, dedication, fighting spirit is going to be taught for decades. Your legacy will live forever.... Thank you for pushing me to the very limit so many times in our rivalry that has impacted me the most as a player.”

Mr. Nadal met Mr. Federer 40 times; Mr. Nadal led 24-16 overall, including 6-3 in Slam finals.

“Thank you for the unforgettable memories and all your incredible achievements in the game we love,” Mr. Federer told Mr. Nadal via social media.

It’s certainly apt that Mr. Nadal’s last major title came at the French Open (beating Mr. Djokovic along the way) two years ago. He repeatedly dealt with, and frequently overcame, various injury issues over the years, and his 2023 and 2024 seasons were both limited because of those challenges.

After briefly making a comeback this January during a tune-up event for the Australian Open, he had to pull out of the year’s first major, then was sidelined again until a return on his beloved clay at the Barcelona Open in April.

Dating to late in 2022, when he was beaten in the fourth round at Flushing Meadows by Frances Tiafoe, Mr. Nadal is just 14-14, including 12-7 this year.

But his overall resume is unimpeachable: a total of 209 weeks at No. 1 in the ATP rankings and nearly 18 years’ worth of consecutive weeks in the Top 10; 92 singles titles; 1,080-227 win-loss record; just shy of $135 million in prize money.

“Really, everything I have experienced has been a dream come true,” Mr. Nadal said. “I leave with the absolute peace of mind of having given my best, of having made an effort in every way.”

This story was reported by The Associated Press. AP writers Joseph Wilson and James Ellingworth contributed to this report.