File image of Rafael Nadal© AFP
The fans around the world were left shell-shocked after the tennis icon Rafael Nadal announced his retirement from the sport. Taking to his X (formerly Twitter) handle, the 22-time Grand Slam champion bid farewell to the game in which he built his stature as one of the most loved sportspersons of all time. The Davis Cup final 8 for Spain will be Nadal's last outing as a professional tennis player, to be held in November. As the news of his retirement broke out, the social media got flooded with good wishes and messages.
Many fans took to X and expressed their sadness on the retirement of the Spaniard, remembering his phenomenal 22-year-old career.
— ً (@nadalprop_) October 10, 2024The greatest there was, the greatest there is, the greatest there ever will be.
Thank you for everything, Rafa. pic.twitter.com/5LpBJxD52t
There will never be another Rafael Nadal pic.twitter.com/6zpyU6OKh6
— Bastien Fachan (@BastienFachan) October 10, 2024
rafael nadal, you will forever be the player who made me love tennis <33 pic.twitter.com/YvTPSsP1YD
— long suffering medvedev fan (@heretoyapp) October 10, 2024
— Greg Jericho (@GrogsGamut) October 10, 2024Oh damn. Knew it was coming, But what a loss to sport. One of the very, very, very greatest.
There will never be another as good on clay. https://t.co/ZPhbRZfaMp
You changed tennis for me and will always be the greatest tennis player in my eyes. All the best Rafa the king of clay
— GAME TO LOVE (@GTLTennis) October 10, 2024
Nadal remains one of the most decorated sportspersons of all time. Of the 22 Grand Slam titles he has won, the Spaniard clinched record 14 French Open titles.
Nadal also has a total of 92 ATP singles titles to his name, including 36 Masters titles as well as an Olympic gold medal.
He also holds the unique record of being one of three men tennis history to complete the Career Golden Slam in singles. He announced the retirement news with an emotional video on social media.
"I am retiring from professional tennis. The reality is that it has been some difficult years, these last two especially," Nadal said in the video. "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."
Last month, Nadal had pulled out of the Laver Cup 2024, which was set to be his final event on court as a professional. Following the Paris 2024 Olympics, Nadal had confirmed Laver Cup will be his next event for 2024.
Berlin would have been Nadal's fourth Laver Cup appearance, having competed in Prague in 2017, Geneva in 2019, and then alongside close friend and long-time rival Roger Federer in doubles, for the last match of Federer's career at The O2 in London in 2022.
(With IANS Inputs)