Rafael Nadal is preparing to make his exit from the stage, after writing whole pages of history for tennis. Having reached the 158th place in the world and with major medical problems, the “Matador” kept postponing the moment of retirement, hoping that the doctors would work miracles.
Rafael Nadal. PHOTO: Facebook
Unfortunately, it proved, once again, that no one won the battle with time. And Nadal announced today his retirement, going to play for the last time in the Davis Cup, for Spain, between November 19-24, in Malaga.
Rafa revealed his decision, which went around the world, posting on his X account (formerly Twitter) a 4 minute 45 second video message that we offer you, in full, in the lines below.
What did Rafael Nadal say?
*(long sigh) are we ready Hello everyone. I am here to announce that I will be retiring from professional tennis. The reality is that there have been some difficult years, especially the last two. I think I couldn’t play without certain limitations. Obviously, it’s a difficult decision, one that took me a while to make. But in life, everything has a beginning and an end. And I think it’s the right time to end a long and successful career beyond anything I could have ever imagined.
*I am very excited that my last tournament will be at the Davis Cup, where I will represent my country. I think that in this way I will close a circle, because since my early days in tennis, one of my great joys was the 2004 Davis Cup final in Seville.
*I feel super, super lucky for everything I’ve been able to have. I want to thank the entire tennis industry. All the people who are involved in this sport, my lifelong rivals. Especially my biggest rivals (no – images are flowing of Nadal and Federer hugging at the net). I spent hours with them and experienced many moments that I will remember for the rest of my life.
*Talking about my team is a bit more difficult for me. Because the team was an important part of my life. They are not only my colleagues but also my friends. They were by my side, constantly, when I needed it the most. In unpleasant moments, the beautiful ones, moments when I needed to be pushed from behind, moments when I needed to be left alone. We’ve been through so much together that it’s hard to explain things.
*Family is everything to me. my mother I think he made all the sacrifices he had to make so that we didn’t miss anything. My wife, Mary. We have been together for 19 years. Thank you for everything you have done. In my opinion, you have been the perfect partner in this journey, all these years in my career. Coming home and watching my son grow up was a force that kept me alive. Which gave me the energy to continue. My sister. I think we’ve always had an incredible relationship. my uncle Thanks to him I started playing tennis. I think that thanks to him I was always able to overcome difficult situations in my career. And my father who I think was a source of inspiration for me in the truest sense of the word. I think it was an example of how you can overcome obstacles. Many thanks to my father, in the most special way.
*And finally, you, the fans. I can’t thank you enough for the way you made me feel. You gave me the energy I needed every moment. All I felt was a dream come true. I will leave the stage reconciled with the thought that I gave my best. I can only conclude by saying: a thousand thanks to everyone and see you soon.
