Rafael Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam champion, will retire from tennis at the end of this season.
The 38-year-old will play his final Davis Cup final for Spain in Malaga next month.
Nadal has barely played in the last two seasons due to injuries and last year suggested he might retire at the end of the 2024 season.
In a video message released on Thursday, Nadal said: “I’m here to announce that I’m retiring from professional tennis.
“The reality is that the last few years, especially the last two years, have been difficult.
Nadal retires as the second most successful men’s singles player of all time, only surpassed by his long-time rival Novak Djokovic.
Nicknamed the “King of Clay,” Nadal has won the French Open singles title 14 times (a record) and 112 of 116 major matches at Roland Garros.
Nadal has also won the US Open four times, the Australian Open and Wimbledon twice each.
He has also won Olympic gold medals in singles and doubles, and most recently helped Spain win five Davis Cup titles in 2019.
Along with longtime rival Djokovic and 20-time major champion Roger Federer, Nadal formed the “Big Band.
” The “Big Three” dominated men’s tennis since the early 2000s, drawing huge fanbases.
