Alakshendra Singh, Pune
On the 10th of October, Rafael Nadal announced his sudden retirement via a social media post. Fans were left shocked as the Spaniard dropped the news without any prior indication.
“I’m quitting the professional tennis circuit. As Nadal stated in the video, “The truth is that these past two years in particular have been rather challenging.” It’s clear that this is a tough choice, and it took me some time to decide. However, everything in this world has a start and a finish.”
Fans have flooded the media with posts of disappointment and despair. Many listed Nadal’s several achievements through his illustrious career. He shared the stage with other greats like Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray, just to name a few. He announced that the upcoming Davis Cup is going to be his last international tournament. Nadal has been battling with injuries for the past few years and has been in poor form due to the same. He mentioned that this is the exact reason he is planning to hang up his racquet.
Over his career, Nadal has won 22 grand slam titles, making him one of the most decorated players in the history of the game. He has won the Roland Garros a record 14 times, which earned him the title “The King of Clay.”
Nadal also has a total of 92 ATP singles titles to his name, including 36 Masters titles as well as an Olympic gold medal. Nadal also holds the unique record of being one of three men in tennis history to complete the Career Golden Slam in singles.
Nadal withdrew from the Laver Cup 2024, which was supposed to be his last professional tournament. The Laver Cup was supposed to be Nadal’s next event for 2024, after the Olympics in Paris.
After competing in Prague in 2017, Geneva in 2019, and then in doubles with longtime adversary and close friend Roger Federer for Federer’s final match at The O2 in London in 2022, Berlin would have marked Nadal’s fourth Laver Cup appearance. Nadal broke down during Federer’s last match.
The current number one in the men’s category, Jannik Sinner, said, “This is devastating news for the tennis world.” Rafa made his mark on the tennis world with his ruthless competitiveness and sportsmanship. Even though the King of Clay has decided to call it a day, his legacy will continue to live on those green, blue, and red arenas.