Rafael Nadal's upcoming retirement from professional tennis means fans worldwide will reminisce about his numerous memorable matches and moments.
The 38-year-old had previously committed to playing at the Davis Cup. But Nadal has now confirmed that the team event in November will be his final appearance before he retires from tennis.
When Nadal began to play tennis at the Manacor Tennis Club as a child, no one could have predicted he would become one of the three greatest tennis players ever, gaining millions of fans around the world.
From Grand Slam titles to epic rivalries against Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic to breaking records, Nadal has established himself as one of the most legendary sporting figures ever over the course of more than 20 years in professional tennis.
Rafael Nadal's Early Years on the ATP Tour
Nadal made his ATP Tour debut at his home tournament in Mallorca, aged 15 and 10 months. He became the ninth man in the open era to win a match before turning 16 after defeating the world No. 81 Ramon Delgado.
The Spaniard's rise began in 2003. He upset the No. 4 seed and former French Open champion Carlos Moya at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Hamburg. Ironically, Moya would become a part of Nadal's team for many years.
After reaching his first ATP final at the Auckland Open, Nadal won his first title on the clay courts of the Orange Prokom Open in August 2004, comfortably overcoming Jose Acasuso in straight sets.
That was followed by being part of Spain's victorious Davis Cup team a few months later. The then 18-year-old defeated world No. 2 Andy Roddick to seal the title on home soil.
Nadal Begins French Open Dominance and Rivalry With Roger Federer
Nadal became a worldwide star in 2005. He played his first significant final against Roger Federer at the Miami Open, losing an epic final in five sets, setting the stage for their incredible rivalry.
After winning his first Masters-1000 titles in Monte-Carlo and Rome, Nadal secured a maiden Grand Slam title at the 2005 French Open. He defeated Federer in the semifinal before overcoming Mariano Puerta in the final.
That triumph at Roland-Garros started his extraordinary record at the French Open. Despite his brilliance and undoubted ability on clay, Federer could not beat Nadal in Paris.
Nadal retained his titles at the French Open in 2006, 2007, and 2008. He beat Federer in all of those finals, including one of the best performances of his career to thrash the Swiss maestro 6-1, 6-3, 6-0 in 2008.
However, Nadal found Federer a more challenging opponent at Wimbledon. Federer proved too good for his younger opponent in the 2006 and 2007 finals at SW19, his first finals outside the French Open.
Epic 2008 Wimbledon Final Begins Success Outside French Open
Some consider Nadal and Federer's 2008 Wimbledon final to be the greatest tennis match ever played. After taking a 6-4 6-4 lead, Federer emerged a changed player after a rain delay and took the next two sets on tiebreaks.
The final set contained outstanding shot-making from both men, but Nadal managed to hold his nerve superbly to win 6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 9-7. That match is still discussed so many years later.
Nadal's Wimbledon success confirmed that he could win the biggest tournaments outside of clay. A few months later, he secured his first hard-court Grand Slam at the 2009 Australian Open, winning another dramatic five-set final against Federer.
After injuries and a shock defeat in the fourth round of the French Open to Robin Soderling, Nadal ended a spell of over a year without a major title by winning the 2010 French Open, getting revenge against Soderling in the final.
The Spaniard claimed his second and final Wimbledon title a few weeks later by beating Tomas Berdych in the Czech's only Grand Slam final appearance in straight sets with a commanding performance at SW19.
The Start of Nadal and Novak Djokovic's Epic Grand Slam Matches
Many felt Nadal and Federer's rivalry would dominate tennis, but the emergence of Novak Djokovic prevented that from happening. Some feel the Serbian's rivalry with Nadal surpassed Federer's one with him.
Their first two major finals were at the US Open. Nadal won the first in four sets before Djokovic got his revenge in the second in the same number of sets, claiming the third Grand Slam title of his dominant 2011.
The pair's most memorable match was the 2012 Australian Open final, another contender for the greatest tennis match ever played. That contest lasted a jaw-dropping five hours and 53 minutes, making it the longest Grand Slam final ever.
After a final of scarcely believable quality, Djokovic prevailed 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7, 7-5, ripping his shirt off in celebration afterward. Both men could barely stand in the ceremony afterward.
Nadal responded by enjoying a spell of dominance at majors against Djokovic. After beating his rival in four sets in the 2012 French Open final, the Spaniard bested Djokovic again in another amazing five-set battle in the semifinal at Roland-Garros the following year.
The 38-year-old also won the 2013 US Open and 2014 French Open finals against Djokovic. Surprisingly, after that US Open triumph, Nadal would never win another set on a hard court against Djokovic.
Struggles and Resurgence During 2017 Season
After missing the closing stages of the 2014 season with an appendix injury, Nadal was not the same player for the next two years. He failed to reach a Grand Slam semifinal in 2015 or 2016, and he was a shadow of his former self.
That period included Djokovic beating Nadal at the French Open for the first time in 2015. At 30 years old and struggling by the end of the 2016 season, many felt his time at the top of tennis was over.
Those predictions proved to be inaccurate. Nadal reached his first Grand Slam final in nearly three years and his first against Federer in almost six years at the 2017 Australian Open. Federer triumphed in five sets in what turned out to be their last major final.
A rejuvenated Nadal enjoyed an outstanding 2017 season afterward. The tennis legend secured an unprecedented 10th French Open title by beating Stan Wawrinka in the final before claiming a third US Open crown a few months later.
After beating Dominic Thiem, who is also retiring this year, in the 2018 French Open final, Nadal came close to a first Wimbledon final since 2011. He lost his final five-set battle against Djokovic 4-6, 6-3, 6-7, 6-3, 8-10.
Nadal's last Grand Slam final against Djokovic was more successful. He dismantled his great rival 6-0, 6-2, 7-5 to win a 13th French Open crown. He also obtained his fourth and final US Open title in 2019.
Winning an 11th Monte-Carlo Masters and 10th Italian Open were other achievements Nadal managed before the end of 2021. However, he missed several months of the 2021 season with an injury and could not win a major title during that year.
Final Spell of Success, Injury Issues, and Retirement
Expectations were not high for Nadal before the 2022 Australian Open. It was his first tournament back after over six months out, and few thought he could seriously challenge at a Grand Slam he had not won in 13 years.
Yet, Nadal confounded expectations and sealed what many consider the most impressive title of his career. He recovered from two sets behind against Daniil Medvedev in the final, prevailing 2-6, 6-7, 6-4, 6-4, 7-5.
Nadal's final Grand Slam success fittingly came at the French Open a few months later. The Spaniard sealed a 14th title at Roland-Garros against Casper Ruud, beating Djokovic in their last Grand Slam match in the quarterfinal.
The final two years of the 22-time Grand Slam champion's career were far more challenging. He sustained an injury in his 2022 Wimbledon quarterfinal against Taylor Fritz, starting a cycle of repeated physical issues.
Nadal was absent for 12 months after picking up a severe hip injury at the 2023 Australian Open. A comeback attempt was made at the start of 2024 before being ruled out for another period of months.
The 38-year-old was at least able to play at the French Open one last time. His level against the eventual runner-up, Alexander Zverev, was high considering what he had been through in the previous 18 months, but he still lost in straight sets.
Nadal also competed at the Olympics, held at Roland-Garros. He renewed his rivalry against Djokovic one final time in the second round of the singles but was soundly beaten 6-1, 6-4.
Carlos Alcaraz realized a dream of playing doubles with Nadal at the Olympics. They reached the quarterfinals together before being eliminated by the experienced pair of Rajeev Ram and Austin Krajicek.
Nadal will likely play doubles at least one more time with Alcaraz at the Davis Cup Finals in November on home soil in Malaga, where his extraordinary career will come to an end.
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