Tennis legend Rafael Nadal said in a video posted on social media that he will retire from the sport next month.
“The reality is that the last two years in particular have been difficult,” Nadal said. “But in this life, everything has a beginning and an end, and I think this is the right time to end a career that has been longer and far more successful than I ever imagined.”
Nadal will hang up his rackets after representing Spain in the Davis Cup match against the Netherlands in Malaga from November 19th to 21st. Nadal led Spain to four Davis Cup titles during his career.
Nadal, 38, has had an impressive on-court career during his 23-year career since turning professional in 2001. He won 22 of his 92 ATP titles in Grand Slam singles. This total Slam result ranks second in men’s history behind Novak Djokovic’s 24. Fourteen of those wins came at the French Open, where he had an overall record of 112 wins and four losses, with three of his losses coming to Djokovic. Nadal was ranked No. 1 in the world for 209 weeks, including five times at the end of the year.
His lifetime winnings are $134.9 million, second only to Djokovic ($184.5 million) and just ahead of Roger Federer ($130.6 million).
The Spaniard’s game off the court has also been strong, with an estimated $425 million in income from endorsements and appearances, bringing his total career earnings, including prize money, to $560 million.
Nike has been Nadal’s biggest supporter throughout his career. The year he became world No. 1, his bonus exceeded $10 million, and his annual salary exceeded $10 million. Nadal’s other long-standing partners include Babolat, Kia, Santander, Telefonica, Infosys, Cantabria Labs and Richard Mille. Nadal has collected seven-figure tournament fees for most of the past decade.
Nadal has been hampered by injuries over the past two years, playing just 23 matches and winning 13 of them since the start of 2023, but brands still continue to sign him. There is. Louis Vuitton recently featured Nadal in an ad campaign with Federer. In January, Nadal became an ambassador for the Saudi Tennis Federation, which plans to open the Rafael Nadal Academy in Saudi Arabia.
Nadal’s retirement means Djokovic will be the last of tennis’ big three still active, as Federer retires in 2022. Between 2004 and 2023, Djokovic, Federer and Nadal won 65 of 79 Grand Slams. The trio won at least two tournaments each year, but were shut out in 2024 as Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner each won two tournaments.
