Spanish pro tennis player Rafael Nadal announced his retirement in an emotional video after an impressive run that included winning 22 Grand Slam singles titles and a record 14 French Open titles.
The 38-year-old was part of a major tennis triumvirate known as the "Big Three" with Swiss former pro tennis player Roger Federer and Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic.
Nadal, who is a left-handed player known for his strong forehand, has won two Olympic gold medals and led Spain to four Davis Cup titles.
On Thursday, the World No. 1 announced that this year's Davis Cup final 8 in Malaga will be his last event as a professional tennis player.
"The reality is that it has been some difficult years, these last two especially," he said in his Instagram video.
"I don't think I've been able to play without limitations. 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."
He continued, explaining now was the appropriate time to end a career that had been "long and much more successful than I could have ever imagined."
"But, I am very excited that my last tournament will be the final of the Davis Cup and representing my country," he said.
"I think I've come full circle since one of my first great joys as a professional tennis player was the Davis Final Cup in Sevilla in 2004."
"I feel super, super lucky for all the things I've been able to experience."
“I want to thank the entire tennis industry, all the people involved in this sport, my long-time colleagues, especially my great rivals,” he said over a montage of him on the court playing against Federer and Djokovic.
“I have spent many hours with them and I have lived many moments that I will remember for the rest of my life."
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Nadal took a deep breath before continuing:
"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 just coworkers, they are friends, they have been by my side at all the times that I really needed them."
"Very bad moments, very good moments, moments when I had to be pushed, moments they gave me more slack."
Nadal gave a special shoutout to his family, who means everything to him, including his mother, who "made all the sacrifices she had to make" for his family to have everything, and his wife of 19 years, María Francisca (Mery) Perelló Pascua, whom he adoringly referred to as his "perfect traveling companion" throughout his career.
He and Pascua had their first child, a son named Rafael, who was born October 8, 2022. The couple agreed to delay having children until near the end of his sports career so that he could allocate more time to being a father.
Nadal said watching his son growing every day "has been a force that has really kept me alive."
He also thanked his younger sister, María Isabel, with whom he shared a strong connection.
Nadal credited his uncle, tennis coach Toni Nadal, for being one of the reasons why he started playing tennis at the Manacor Tennis Club where his uncle worked.
"I believe that thanks to him, I have also been able to overcome many situations that have been difficult in my sporting career," he said.
Lastly, he thanked his father for being a "source of inspiration" for him "in every sense of the word."
"I think he has been an example of effort, of overcoming. Many, many thanks to him."
Nadal closed the speech by addressing the fans, saying:
"You have given me the energy that I have needed at every moment."
“Really, everything I have experienced has been a dream come true. I leave with the absolute peace of mind of having given my best, of having made an effort in every way."
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