Rafael Nadal Reveals the Painful Reason He Decided to Retire From Tennis in 2024

Rafael Nadal retired from professional tennis at the 2024 Davis Cup Finals in Malaga, Spain.

Rafael Nadal Reveals the Painful Reason He Decided to Retire From Tennis in 2024

Rafael Nadal (image via Corrine Dubreuil)

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Rafael Nadal is regarded as one of the best players to ever grace the court. With flair, skills, and competitive spirit, he has become a legendary figure in professional tennis. The Spaniard, who retired from the sport in November 2024 has become an absolute role model to older and younger players on tour.

Nadal first became popular on tour in 2005 after claiming his maiden Grand Slam at the Roland Garros, just two days after his 19th birthday, becoming the first teenager since Pete Sampras at the 1990 US Open to win a major title. The 39-year-old went on to win 13 more French Open titles at the Roland Garros, becoming the record holder.

He claimed 22 Grand Slams on tour before sustaining a hip injury that forced him out of the tour for over eleven months. He returned to the court during the 2024 season but didn’t show the same physical consistency he displayed during the early days of his career. He missed all the Grand Slam tournaments in 2024, apart from the French Open, where he crashed out in the first round.

His professional tennis match came at the 2024 Davis Cup Finals in Malaga, Spain. Nadal was unable to overcome the Dutch star Botic van de Zandschulp 4-6, 4-6. That eventually led to Spain losing to the Netherlands in the quarter-finals of the tournament. Nadal then went on to bid farewell in front of an emotional crowd.

Understandably, Nadal has remained busy after retiring from the sport but he was seen a few days ago training with WTA youngster Alexandra Eala at the Rafael Nadal Academy, which he founded in 2016. During an interview with Jorge Valdano via Puntodebreak, the former World No.1 revealed why he retired from the sport:

Sports and tennis have been my life’s work. I was prepared because I exhausted all my options until the very end. Having exhausted every real possibility I had of continuing to compete at the level I would have liked gave me the conviction and peace of mind to end things peacefully, knowing it was the decision I had to make because there was nothing else. The tank was empty. I don’t have any bad memories of that period.

The French Open organized a farewell ceremony for Nadal before the start of the tournament this season in May. The Spaniard’s competitors, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray, were present at the tournament. The tournament director then unveiled a metal plate to the side of the net bearing Nadal’s footprint, his name, the number 14, and the French Open trophy on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

Rafael Nadal admits he’s at peace with himself after hanging up his racket last year

Rafael Nadal remains one of the few players who attracted fans to the sport and brought changes to tennis. His best tournament was the Roland Garros, where he delightfully played his best game, but all the same, he holds the most amazing record on the clay court having won over 60 tour-level titles.

Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal (via X/The Tennis Letter)

After years of dominance on the surface, he tried to compete at the same level last season, but failed to do so. During the aforementioned interview, Nadal revealed that he’s currently at peace with himself with how he ended his two-decade-old career despite being passionate about the sport:

I gained peace, in the sense that, in a way, you don’t feel that daily responsibility to perform. Sometimes performing under unsuitable conditions wears you down as a person, and you end up not being as happy as someone like me should be. The bad thing is, in the end, a stage that was exceptionally beautiful and exciting for me has ended. Something I was truly passionate about has gone: competing at the highest level.

Nadal won the French Open from 2005 to 2008, defeating his arch-rival Roger Federer in the final on three occasions and most notably in 2008. After a shocking fourth-round loss in 2009, he claimed the title in 2010 and began another five-year title streak at the event.

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