3 tennis legends who ended their careers in 2024; ft. Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray
Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray, among others, are top legends who bid farewell to tennis in the 2024 season.
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Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray (via BBC/People)
The 2024 season marked the end of an era in men’s and women’s tennis. From Joao Sousa, Andy Murray, and Dominic Thiem to Angelique Kerber and Garbine Muguruza, a lot of notable players retired from the sport.
All of them dominated tennis in the 2010s but age and long-term injuries saw their form drop in recent years. With the old guard retiring, the ATP and WTA are on the verge of transition with players from the upcoming generation already dominating the court.
Novak Djokovic, however, has decided to continue playing irrespective of being 37. In fact, the Serbian became the oldest player to win an Olympic gold medal in Paris. Here, we take a look at the Top 3 notable players who hung their racket in the 2024 season.
3) Juan Martin del Potro
Juan Martin del Potro remains one of the finest players to ever graced the court. The Argentine became a Grand Slam champion at the 2009 US Open after beating Nadal and Roger Federer in the semifinals and final. He did well to reach the final of the Flushing Meadow nine years later but was defeated by Novak Djokovic.
The former World No. 3 won 22 tour-level career titles but was notable for putting his country on the tennis map. He won a bronze medal for Argentina at the London Olympics in 2012 and claimed a silver in Rio in 2016. He also helped his country win the 2016 Davis Cup title.
However, the sad theme for Del Potro has always been injuries The 36-year-old struggled with several strings of injuries before playing his final tournament match at the 2022 Argentina Open. He played his farewell exhibition match against Novak Djokovic in Buenos Aires, finally bidding professional tennis goodbye.
2) Andy Murray
Murray is arguably the greatest British player since the Open Era. The 37-year-old flair and aggressive display on the court earned him fame. He disrupted the Big 3 dominance in the ATP as he finished the 2016 season as the World No. 1.
Murray broke the 77-year curse by becoming the first British man to win the Wimbledon Championship. Out of the 11 Major finals the former World No. 1 reached, he won only three.
The Brit claimed two Wimbledon titles and one US Open title. Overall, he won 46 singles titles and claimed two Olympic gold medals for Great Britain in London 2012 and Rio 2016. But, his career was also plagued by injuries, most in 2018 and 2019.
The 37-year-old played his last professional match at the Paris Olympics alongside his partner Dan Evans. The duo reached the quarterfinals before losing to the American pair Tommy Paul and Taylor Fritz.
1) Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal’s retirement announcement sent shockwaves through the tennis world. One of the greatest players, who won 22 Grand Slams revealed he would hang his racket in November. The Spaniard last enjoyed the ATP Tour in 2022, where he won the Australian Open and French Open.
In January 2023, he sustained a hip injury that forced him out for nearly a year. Nadal returned to the court this season but didn’t live up to fans’ expectations. However, his legendary career overshadowed his shortfalls.
The Mallorcan won 92 career titles, including 22 Grand Slams, 36 Masters 1000 titles, and Olympic gold. He also claimed a singles gold medal at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
The former World No. 1 played his final match at the 2024 Davis Cup Finals in Malaga. Nadal lost to Netherlands’ Botic van de Zandschulp in straight sets in the quarterfinals.
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Victor Okechukwu
(743 Articles Published)