[Tennis]38-year-old Rafael Nadal announces retirement as “King of Red Clay” 22 wins in 4 major tournaments Only Joko remains in BIG4 – Sponichi Sponichi Annex Sports

Rafael Nadal (38, Spain), who boasts a total of 22 wins in the four major tournaments, the most in men’s tennis history, announced on the 10th that he will retire at the end of this season.

He updated his SNS and posted “Thank you everyone” in languages ​​around the world. He announced his retirement in a video. The final stage will be the Davis Cup Final, a men’s national competition that begins on November 19th in Malaga, Spain.

Nadal turned pro in 2001 and won his first tour victory in 2004. He has been active for a long time with his powerful left-handed strokes and abundant momentum. The French Open, which won in its first appearance in 2005, boasts unparalleled strength with 14 wins, the most in history, and is nicknamed the “King of Red Clay.”

In recent years, he has suffered from injuries to his hip and other joints. He participated in the Paris Olympics this season, but was defeated by Novak Djokovic (Serbia) in the second round of the singles match. After that, he withdrew from the US Open, the final match of the Grand Slam tournament.

Roger Federer (Switzerland) and Andy Murray (Great Britain), who were known as the “BIG 4” along with Nadal and Djokovic, have already retired, leaving Djokovic the only one still active.

Below is Nadal’s full statement.

I would like to inform you that I will be retiring from professional tennis.

The last two years have been particularly difficult. It was obviously a difficult decision and took some time. But in life, everything has a beginning and an end. And I think it’s the right time to end a career that has been longer and far more successful than I ever imagined.

I’m so excited that my last tournament will be the Davis Cup finals and I’ll be representing my country. One of my first great joys as a professional tennis player was the Davis Cup final in Seville in 2004, so I feel like I’ve come full circle and come back again.

I feel very, very lucky for everything I’ve been able to experience.

I would like to thank the entire tennis industry. All the people involved in this sport are my long-time colleagues. Especially my great competitors. I spent many moments with them that I will never forget.

It’s a little difficult for me to talk about my team. It’s a very important part of my life. They’re not just colleagues, they’re friends. They have always been there for me when I really needed them, in the good moments, in the moments when I had to be pushed, in the moments when they gave me space. We’ve spent so much time together that it’s hard to explain.

Family means everything to me. My mother made many sacrifices for me. My wife, Mary. We have been together for 19 years. Thank you for everything you have done. I think you have been the perfect companion during your long career. Coming home and seeing my son grow day by day really energized me and gave me the energy I needed to keep going.

my sister. I think we’ve always had a great relationship.

My uncle is the reason I started playing tennis. I believe that thanks to my uncle, I was able to overcome many difficult situations in my sports career.

And my father. I think my father was a source of inspiration for me in every sense of the word, and an example of hard work and overcoming. I am very, very special and thank you very much.

And finally, to all the fans. I can’t thank you enough for how you made me feel. You gave me the energy I needed in every moment.

Everything I experienced was truly a dream come true. I have absolute peace of mind that I have done my best and strived in every way. Finally, I would like to express my gratitude to everyone, which cannot be expressed in words. See you again.

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