With a total of 22 grand slam wins over the span of his distinguished career in tennis, Rafael Nadal has announced his retirement from the sport. 

Considered as one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Nadal will play his last match in November at the Davis Cup finals with Spain. The veteran athlete last played at the Paris Olympics but his injuries had hampered him in his career. With this, he had limited time on court during the past two seasons. 

In a social media post, Nadal expressed: “Hello everyone, I’m here to let you know that I am retiring from professional tennis,” Nadal said in a video posted on social media. “The reality is that it has been some difficult years, these last two especially. I don’t think I have been able to play without limitations.” 

He added: “It is obviously a difficult decision, one that has taken me some time to make. But in this life, everything has a beginning and an end… And I think it’s the appropriate time to put an end to a career that has been long and much more successful than I could have ever imagined.”

 

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A post shared by Rafa Nadal (@rafaelnadal)

Nadal and his historic tennis career 

Nadal’s 36 Masters 1000 titles and 22 grand slam victories ranked him second in the men’s tennis history, behind only his great and longtime rival, Novak Djokovic. 

The athlete was also dubbed as the “King of Clay” due to his incredible dominance on the clay-courts. He has won 14 grand slams at the French Open and only lost four times out of his 116 matches in the competition. 

Furthermore, he won the US Open four times, and both Australian Open and Wimbledon twice. His victory over Roger Federer in the 2008 Wimbledon final has been widely considered as the greatest tennis match of all time. 

Nadal declared: “I am very excited that my last tournament will be the final of the Davis Cup and representing my country… I think I’ve come full circle since one of my first great joys as a professional tennis player was the Davis Cup final in Seville in 2004. I feel super, super lucky for all the things I’ve been able to experience.” 

He further expressed: “I want to thank the entire tennis industry. All the people involved in this sport, my long-time colleagues, especially my great rivals. I have spent many, many hours with them and I have lived many moments that I will remember for the rest of my life… Talking about my team is a little bit more difficult for me because in the end, my team has been a very important part of my life. They are not co-workers, they are friends. They have been by my side at all the times I have really needed them. Very bad moments, very good moments.”

“I leave with the absolute peace of mind of having given my best, of having made an effort in every way,” he said.

Source: CNN

As the highly anticipated ATP finals inched closer, one tennis legend was sighted, leaving an encouraging message for the World’s second-ranked tennis player, Carlos Alcaraz, on Instagram.

Alcaraz on Nadal: He’s my hero

Throughout his career, Alcaraz was often asked who his idol was, and his response was always the same: “Rafael Nadal.” Both players hail from Spain and have been an incredible force on court, continuously breaking barriers and setting records. 

“I want to be one of the best tennis players in history. To be on the same table as the legend, Rafa. Rafa was my hero when I was young when I started playing tennis. Towards his matches, finals, lifting the best trophies in the world, I felt, for me, Rafa was my hero growing up,” Alcaraz said in Cincytennis’ latest Instagram post.

And with only a few days before the Finals takes off, Nadal decided to leave a message for his Spanish successor under the video, cheering him on as he takes on yet another daunting challenge: @carlitosalcarazz Big hug and good luck in Turin 💪🏻🙌 @nittoatpfinals

Rafa Nadal wishing Carlos Alcaraz luck before the ATP Finals in Turin:

“Big hug & good luck in Turin 💪🏻🙌” pic.twitter.com/1i8OTfJjR9

— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) November 10, 2023

Alcaraz this year

At the young age of 20, Alcaraz has risen to as high as No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP rankings, constantly competing with the 24-time grand slam winner, Novak Djokovic. In June of this year, Alcaraz outranked Djokovic after he won the Cinch Championships.

However, after Djokovic’s historic win at the US Open, he soon reclaimed the throne from Alcaraz.

Nevertheless, it’s clear to anyone that Alcaraz has been magnificent this year. And considering that he’s still young, many people are left in awe of his talent, including his rival Djokovic, who said that Alcaraz reminded him of Nadal so much.

Even Roger Federer himself commended Nadal on his accomplishments last month on the ATP Tennis Radio Podcast.“Alcaraz is great. I mean, look, he’s still young & everything that he has achieved is fantastic. And not just on clay or just on hard. But also now winning Wimbledon against Novak in the final.. that is no joke. I mean he didn’t need to really prove that point but that’s another super asterisk in his CV.”

Despite Alcaraz’s current state of disarray, which has resulted in a succession of defeats in recent tournaments, the most notable of which was the Paris Masters, where he was eliminated in the first round, the Spaniard remains confident of a successful return to form at this year’s ATP Turin Finals.

Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic reunite at practice in Turin and it's 🔥🔥🔥

(🎥 @TennisTV) pic.twitter.com/LNfHq8Qutj

— We Are Tennis (@WeAreTennis) November 10, 2023

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According to the former world No. 9 Nicolas Almagro, Rafael Nadal’s accomplishments in the field of tennis are ‘beyond the reach of any human being’. The athlete also declared that the difficulty of his experience playing against Nadal in the French Open was like ‘going to a slaughterhouse.’ 

Nadal recently announced his retirement from the sport. About his retirement, Almagro stated: “If injuries had spared him, he would have continued trying, I have no doubt about it. It’s a shame, it’s a sad day for world sport.” 

He added: “He is one of the greatest that a mother could have given to world sport, a reference, a legend, an example in all aspects… Things in life… We knew that sooner or later he would arrive, but it is a hard blow because he leaves a very big void that is very difficult to fill… “We have Carlitos [Alcaraz] there, present and future, but I think what Rafa has achieved is beyond the reach of any human being.”

Almagro lost 15 of his matches against the 22-time Grand Slam champion, winning only two sets and earning only one win in his 16 meetings with Nadal.

Nadal will retire after the 2024 Davis Cup Final 8 stage, which will be held in Malaga from November 19 to 24.

The athlete admitted: “Will I be ready for the Davis Cup? Emotionally, yes, that’s for sure; physically and tennis-wise, I still have a month ahead of me… I will prepare, I will try to be in shape to help the team win. If I feel ready and the captain feels the same way, it will be his decision. If I don’t feel ready, I will be the first to step away and see how I can help.” 

He added: “First, I have to be the one who feels competitive to get into the game, then you can win or lose, that’s part of the sport. If I’m not 100% or if I’m far from winning my match, I won’t go on the court.”

Source: Tennis365

After the 37-year-old Spaniard lost to his fellow countryman in an exhibition match held in Las Vegas, Rafa Nadal said that one benefit of approaching his career end is that he will not have to play against Carlos Alcaraz too often.

“It’s a good thing that as a player I will not face him many times,” said Nadal, whose retirement is expected this year due to various injuries that had caused less exposure for him on the circuit. 

Carlos Alcaraz – the future of Spanish tennis 

Rafael Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam winner, had declared that 20-year-old Carlos Alcaraz is the future of Spanish tennis. At present, Alcaraz has won major titles and is rated second in the world after Noval Djokovic. Alcaraz’s excellent skills in tennis also led him to be awarded in the Open and Wimbledon. 

“He’s an amazing player. He’s only 20-years-old and he’s already won two Grand Slams and a couple of important tournaments,” Nadal said. He admitted that he is a fan of Alcaraz and that Spain should be grateful to have an athlete such as Carlos Alcaraz. 

Rafael Nudal was out for nearly a year due to a hip flexor issue, before having a muscular ailment at the beginning of this season. In his exhibition match with Alcaraz, he declared that he was feeling much better than what he had expected. 

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Carlos Alcaraz, the world’s second-ranked tennis player, appears to be in a downward spiral ever since he won the Wimbledon title with a stunning 1-6, 7-6 (6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4, victory over Novak Djokovic. The Spaniard, who is only 20 years old, has not won a tournament in several months.

Then came his most catastrophic setback of all time: Alcaraz lost in the first round of the Paris Masters, much to the surprise of many fans.

Alcaraz vs. Safiullin

Alcaraz’s entry in the Paris Masters was highly anticipated, as it was supposed to be his resurgence following his withdrawal from the ATP Swiss Indoors Basel due to his left foot sole’s inflammation and gluteal muscle difficulties.

And, just a few days before the event, Alcaraz was also seen in an intense practice session with his arch-rival Djokovic, adding to the excitement and hope that the two would reprise their dramatic Wimbledon encounter.

The best points and shots from today’s special practice session between Alcaraz and Djokovic 💥 pic.twitter.com/1WGEkwZEbS

— Olly 🎾🇬🇧 (@Olly_Tennis_) October 29, 2023

But unfortunately, all that hype came to an end after Russian qualifier Roman Safiullin, a player who’s ranked 43 places lower than him, defeated the Spaniard 6-3,6-4.

An article from CNN wrote that the setback was difficult for him because he had high expectations for himself this time.

“It’s even more difficult, above all for me, to lose in the first rounds of a tournament that you expect to make the finals or where you expect a lot of yourself, it hurts. It hurts a lot,” Alcaraz said.

In addition, he also said that after his defeat, he needs to make many improvements in his game.

Via The Tennis Letter: “Right now I’m not in the right time to talk. Honestly after the loss, I have to take some time, you know, before thinking about the next days & what I have to do or what I’m gonna do.. But obviously before the ATP Finals begin, we have time. I just didn’t feel well on the court. A lot of things to improve, a lot of things to practice. I didn’t feel well in the game. I didn’t move well. In the shots, I think I had a good quality of shots. But, you know, physically in the part of movement, I have to improve a lot.”

Alcaraz congratulates opponent

Despite his defeat, Alcaraz greeted Safiullin in the center of the court, shook hands, and even had a conversation with him, during which he was spotted smiling.

In an X post, Alcaraz also congratulated his foe for winning the match, writing, “Congratulations on the victory Roman! 🤝🏻 I am saying goodbye to Paris much sooner than I wanted 🥲 Now it is time to prepare my game for the ATP Finals in Turin!”

Congratulations on the victory Roman! 🤝🏻 I am saying goodbye to Paris much sooner than I wanted 🥲 Now it is time to prepare my game for the ATP Finals in Turin!

📸 @atptour pic.twitter.com/bEGEmOKfkV

— Carlos Alcaraz (@carlosalcaraz) November 1, 2023

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