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Rafael Nadal Announces Upcoming Retirement in Emotional Video

Andy Nesbitt

Rafael Nadal's legendary career will come to a close at the end of the year.
Rafael Nadal's legendary career will come to a close at the end of the year. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Rafael Nadal's legendary career will come to close at the end of this year, the winner of 22 Grand Slams announced on Thursday.

Nadal will forever be remembered as one of the all-time greats. He won 14 French Open titles but has dealt with a number of injuries in recent years. His final appearance will come at the Davis Cup in Malaga (Nov. 19-21) when he will play for Spain against the Netherlands.

"I am very excited that my last tournament will be the final of the Davis Cup and representing my country," Nadal said. "I think I've come full circle since one of my first great joys as a professional tennis player was the Davis Cup final 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."

The 38-year-old announced his retirement in an emotional video:

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Andy Nesbitt
ANDY NESBITT

Andy Nesbitt is the assistant managing editor of audience engagement at Sports Illustrated. He works closely with the Breaking and Trending News team to shape SI’s daily coverage across all sports. A 20-year veteran of the sports media business, he has worked for Fox Sports, For the Win, The Boston Globe and NBC Sports, having joined SI in February 2023. Nesbitt is a golf fanatic who desperately wants to see the Super Bowl played on a Saturday night.

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