END OF AN ERA

Rafael Nadal Says He’s Retiring From Tennis After Struggling Through ‘Difficult Years’

“I think it’s the appropriate time to put an end to a career that has been long and much more successful than I could have ever imagined.”

Spanish tennis legend Rafael Nadal will retire at the end of this season, the 38-year-old announced Thursday in a video posted on his social media accounts. “The reality is it has been some difficult years, these last two especially. I don’t think I have been able to play without limitations,” he said, per the ATP Tour’s translation. “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, and I think it’s the appropriate time to put an end to a career that has been long and much more successful than I could have ever imagined.” Nadal went pro at age 15, and has since racked up 22 men’s singles Grand Slam wins—14 of them at the French Open—two Olympic gold medals, and a suite of titles at the world’s biggest tournaments, including Wimbledon, the U.S. Open, and the Australian Open. He has, however, spent the last few years playing through injuries, and after struggling through a match against Novak Djokovic at the Paris Olympics, indicated he would make a decision on retirement after the games ended. His last event will be the Davis Cup final in Malaga, Spain, this November.