NADAL’S CAREER AS A TENNIS GREAT COMES TO AN END – His career ended on Tuesday, November 19th in the Davis Cup
Rafael Nadal will call time on his illustrious but injury-plagued career after this week’s Davis Cup Finals in Malaga, as the 22-time Grand Slam champion prepares for an emotional farewell.
His career ended on Tuesday, November 19th as Spain lost to the Netherlands in the Davis Cup quarter-finals. Nadal lost his singles match to Botic van de Zandschulp before Carlos Alcaraz levelled the tie with a victory over Tallon Griekspoor. However, Alcaraz and Marcel Granollers could not win the doubles tie meaning the Netherlands advanced to the semi-finals.
Nadal, who won a record 14 French Open titles during his 23-year career, had previously said he expected to retire this year after a hip injury that required surgery and limited his appearances in 2023.
The 38-year-old was a surprise selection for the Nov. 19-24 Davis Cup Final 8, after last competing at the Paris Olympics in July and subsequently missing the U.S. Open and Laver Cup over fitness concerns.
Nadal, who has won two Australian Opens, two Wimbledon crowns and four U.S. Opens plus Olympic gold and four Davis Cups on top of his multiple French Open titles, said finishing his career in Spanish colours at the team event felt right.
Nadal has been no stranger to injuries and he sustained the hip problem at the Australian Open in early 2023 and missed the French Open later that year before having surgery.
He has played only 23 matches in the last two seasons.
Nadal returned to his favourite hunting ground this season but was beaten in the opening round by German Alexander Zverev and politely refused a celebratory farewell in the hope of a final hurrah next year.
Dubbed the ‘King of Clay’ for his jaw-dropping 112-4 win-loss record at the Paris major, Nadal’s last Roland Garros triumph came in 2022.
Nada hangs up his racket two years after great rival and Swiss maestro Roger Federer, leaving record 24-times major winner Novak Djokovic of Serbia as the only member of the ‘Big Three’ still active.
