Rafael Nadal announces his retirement from tennis

Tennis legend Rafael Nadal announced his retirement Thursday at age 38.

Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam winner known for his dominance on Europe’s clay courts and his on-court rivalry with Roger Federer, said he would play his final match in November’s Davis Cup.

“It has been some difficult years, these last two especially,” the Spanish star said in a video, referencing the latter, injury-plagued years of his career. “I don’t think I’ve been able to play without limitations.”

Nadal boasts a record 14 titles from the French Open, and two from both Wimbledon and the Australian Open. His most recent two Slams arrived in 2022, pushing him ahead of Federer for the then-record of 20 Grand Slam titles for a man.

Federer announced his retirement when he was 41 at the end of the 2022 season. Both he and Nadal have since been surpassed in Grand Slams by Novak Djokovic, who reached 24 by winning last year’s U.S. Open.

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