Rafael Nadal has been described as the king of mass courts. He is especially remembered for the number of wins at the French Open.
One of the most successful tennis players of all time, Rafael Nadalannounced Thursday that he will end his career in November at the Davis Cup finals.
– The last few years in particular have been difficult, and I haven’t been able to play without restrictions, Nadal commented, among other things, in his video published on X.
Significant gains
38-year-old Nadal reached 22 grand slams in his career. For example, the king of mass fields conquered the French Open 14 times.
Although Nadal achieved a lot, without injuries and illnesses he could have achieved much more. The Spaniard had to miss no less than 15 major tournaments during his career for these reasons.
Of the big three, for example Roger Federer was sidelined for six major tournaments, Novak Djokovic just one in the last 79 grand slams.
Of the trio, Djokovic has won 24 grand slams, Nadal 22 and Federer 20. The numbers are tough, because they have played at the same time and taken titles from each other.
Nadal has been described as the king of mass courts. He achieved 92 tournament victories in his career, 63 of them by mass. For example, he lost to only three players in the French Open on a mass field: To Robin Söderling in 2009, for Djokovic in 2015 and 2021 as well Alexander Zverev earlier this year.
Djokovic and Federer were glowing
Nadal’s fiercest rivals, Djokovic and Federer, cheered Nadal on Thursday after the news of the retirement.
– Your tenacity, dedication and fighting spirit will be taught to others for decades to come. Your legacy lives on forever,” Djokovic wrote on Instagram.
– What a career, Rafa! I always hoped this day would never come. Thank you for the unforgettable moments and all your incredible achievements in the game we love,” Federer commented.
The current top players in the world rankings are also upset. For example, world number one Jannik Sinner described that the news is hard to swallow.
– We all saw how good he is. He taught us young players how to behave on the field or handle difficult situations. While playing, he gave us all a lot of emotions.
From the Spanish From Carlos Alcaraz on the other hand, it was difficult to accept Nadal’s retirement.
– I was a little shocked when I watched the video. This news is really hard for everyone and even worse for me. He has been my idol since the beginning. Thanks to him, I wanted to be a tennis player.