Rafael Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam champion, will retire from tennis at the end of this season.
The 38-year-old will represent Spain in the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga next month.
Nadal has been unable to play for the past two seasons due to injuries and previously stated that he could retire at the end of the 2024 season.
“The reality is that it has been some difficult years, the last two especially.
“I don’t think I have been able to play without limitations.”
Nadal departs as the second-most successful men’s singles player of all time, trailing only long-time rival Novak Djokovic.
Nadal, known as the ‘King of Clay’, won the French Open singles title 14 times in a row, winning 112 of his 116 major matches at Roland Garros.
No player has won more Grand Slam singles titles in the same tournament.
Heaal has also won the Australian Open and Wimbledon twice, as well as the US Open four times.
He also won Olympic singles and doubles gold and helped Spain win four Davis Cups, the most recent in 2019.
Along with long-time rivals Djokovic and 20-time major champion Roger Federer, Nadal created the ‘Big Three’ that dominated the men’s game in the early 2000s and gained legions of fans.
“What a career, Rafa! I always hoped this day would never come,” Federer, who famously cried alongside Nadal when he retired in 2022, said.
“Thank you for the unforgettable memories and all your incredible achievements in the game we love.
“It’s been an absolute honour.”
