End of an Era! Rafael Nadal retires after illustrious career | VIDEO

From full list of Nadal full list of grand slam titles to Nadal's farewell video, know everything about Spaniard's illustrious career here

In a poignant moment at the Davis Cup in Málaga, Rafael Nadal’s eyes welled with tears as Spain’s national anthem played. Standing alongside his teammates, the 22-time Grand Slam champion likely knew this could be his last professional match. Hours later, that reality came to pass as Nadal’s 6-4, 6-4 loss to Botic van de Zandschulp of the Netherlands marked the end of his illustrious career. Spain’s quarterfinal elimination solidified the moment.

 

An Emotional Ceremony for a Tennis Icon

  Post-match, the sold-out Palacio de Deportes erupted in chants of "Raaa-faaa" as a tribute video highlighted Nadal’s two-decade journey. Recorded messages from Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams, and other sports icons, including David Beckham, added to the emotional farewell. "I hope to be remembered as a good person from a small village in Mallorca," Nadal told the adoring crowd. 

 

And that's how we'll always remember you, Rafa#DavisCup #Rafa #GraciasRafa pic.twitter.com/XWEGT35anq

— Davis Cup (@DavisCup) November 19, 2024

 

A battle of emotions on Court*

 

  Despite attempting to focus on the competition, Nadal admitted struggling with nerves. His performance showed glimpses of brilliance, with signature "Vamos!" moments and relentless effort. Yet, signs of wear from injuries, including hip surgery in 2023, were evident. He lost his first Davis Cup match in 2004 and, fittingly, his last, joking, “We close the circle.”

 

Legacy Beyond Tennis

 

Spain’s captain, David Ferrer, captured the sentiment: “We will miss you a lot.” Nadal’s relentless playing style and humility made him a national hero, transcending tennis. As fans waved “Gracias, Rafa!” scarves, Nadal reflected, "I’m not tired of tennis, but my body doesn’t want to play anymore. I feel privileged to have made a career out of my hobby."   

Full list of Rafael Nadal's Grand Slam titles

 

Rafael Nadal has won 22 Grand Slam titles and 14 of them have been French Open. Here's a list of Nadal's Grand Slam titles

 

Year	Tournament	Surface	Opponent	Score
2005	French Open	Clay	Mariano Puerta	6–7(6–8), 6–3, 6–1, 7–5
2006	French Open (2)	Clay	Roger Federer	1–6, 6–1, 6–4, 7–6(7–4)
2007	French Open (3)	Clay	Roger Federer	6–3, 4–6, 6–3, 6–4
2008	French Open (4)	Clay	Roger Federer	6–1, 6–3, 6–0
2008	Wimbledon	Grass	Roger Federer	6–4, 6–4, 6–7(5–7), 6–7(8–10), 9–7
2009	Australian Open	Hard	Roger Federer	7–5, 3–6, 7–6(7–3), 3–6, 6–2
2010	French Open (5)	Clay	Robin Söderling	6–4, 6–2, 6–4
2010	Wimbledon (2)	Grass	Tomáš Berdych	6–3, 7–5, 6–4
2010	US Open	Hard	Novak Djokovic	6–4, 5–7, 6–4, 6–2
2011	French Open (6)	Clay	Roger Federer	7–5, 7–6(7–3), 5–7, 6–1
2012	French Open (7)	Clay	Novak Djokovic	6–4, 6–3, 2–6, 7–5
2013	French Open (8)	Clay	David Ferrer	6–3, 6–2, 6–3
2013	US Open (2)	Hard	Novak Djokovic	6–2, 3–6, 6–4, 6–1
2014	French Open (9)	Clay	Novak Djokovic	3–6, 7–5, 6–2, 6–4
2017	French Open (10)	Clay	Stan Wawrinka	6–2, 6–3, 6–1
2017	US Open (3)	Hard	Kevin Anderson	6–3, 6–3, 6–4
2018	French Open (11)	Clay	Dominic Thiem	6–4, 6–3, 6–2
2019	French Open (12)	Clay	Dominic Thiem	6–3, 5–7, 6–1, 6–1
2019	US Open (4)	Hard	Daniil Medvedev	7–5, 6–3, 5–7, 4–6, 6–4
2020	French Open (13)	Clay	Novak Djokovic	6–0, 6–2, 7–5
2022	Australian Open (2)	Hard	Daniil Medvedev	2–6, 6–7(5–7), 6–4, 6–4, 7–5
2022	French Open (14)	Clay	Casper Ruud	6–3, 6–3, 6–0