{"id":3803,"date":"2024-10-10T14:40:19","date_gmt":"2024-10-10T14:40:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hectorkott.com\/?p=3803"},"modified":"2024-10-10T14:40:19","modified_gmt":"2024-10-10T14:40:19","slug":"rafael-nadal-announces-tennis-retirement-after-difficult-years-with-injury","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hectorkott.com\/?p=3803","title":{"rendered":"Rafael Nadal announces tennis retirement after \u2018difficult years\u2019 with injury"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n<div><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/GettyImages-1401703133.jpg?quality=90&#038;strip=all&#038;w=1024\" width=\"5472\" alt=\"Rafael Nadal with the French Open trophy in 2022\" class=\"wp-image-21299284\" height=\"3648\"><\/div><figcaption>Rafael Nadal won a record 14 French Open titles (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/rafael-nadal\/?ico=auto_link_sport_P1_LNK1\">Rafael Nadal<\/a> has officially announced his retirement from tennis, following an incredible career which saw him win 22 Grand Slam titles.<\/p>\n<p>A whopping 14 of those came at the <a data-track=\"inline-tag-auto-link_article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/french-open\/?ico=auto_link_sport_P2_LNK1\">French Open<\/a>, with the 38-year-old Spanish legend <a data-id=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2023\/05\/18\/how-many-times-has-rafael-nadal-won-the-french-open-18806419\/\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2023\/05\/18\/how-many-times-has-rafael-nadal-won-the-french-open-18806419\/\" data-type=\"link\">earning the nickname \u2018King of Clay\u2019 <\/a>due to his dominance on the red dirt.<\/p>\n<p>Nadal goes down as one of the greatest and most loved players in the history of professional men\u2019s tennis and has joined fellow Big Four stars Roger Federer and Andy Murray in hanging up his racket.<\/p>\n<p>He massively struggled with injury in his twilight years and his final professional event will be <a data-id=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2024\/09\/26\/rafael-nadal-urged-delay-retirement-amid-davis-cup-last-dance-rumours-21679309\/\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2024\/09\/26\/rafael-nadal-urged-delay-retirement-amid-davis-cup-last-dance-rumours-21679309\/\" data-type=\"link\">representing Spain at November\u2019s Davis Cup Finals in Malaga<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In a video message released on Thursday, Nadal said: \u2018I am here to let you know I am retiring from professional tennis.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018The reality is that it has been some difficult years, the last two especially.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018I don\u2019t think I have been able to play without limitations.\u2019<\/p>\n<div data-track-module=\"factbox_article\" data-colour=\"green\">\n<h2>\n<i><br \/>\n<\/i><br \/>\nRafael Nadal | Career in numbers\t<\/h2>\n<div>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>22<\/strong> \u2013 Grand Slam titles<\/li>\n<li><strong>14<\/strong> \u2013 French Open titles, the most by any player at any Slam<\/li>\n<li><strong>112<\/strong> \u2013 Victories at Roland Garros<\/li>\n<li><strong>4 <\/strong>\u2013 US Open titles<\/li>\n<li><strong>2<\/strong> \u2013 Wimbledon titles<\/li>\n<li><strong>2<\/strong> \u2013 Australian Open titles<\/li>\n<li><strong>30<\/strong> \u2013 Grand Slam final appearances<\/li>\n<li><strong>2 <\/strong>\u2013 Olympic gold medals, one in singles and one in doubles<\/li>\n<li><strong>36<\/strong> \u2013 ATP Masters 1000 titles<\/li>\n<li><strong>5<\/strong> \u2013 Davis Cup titles with Spain<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Nadal has spoken several times about plans to end his career and strongly hinted this year would be his last on the ATP Tour.<\/p>\n<p>The tennis icon, perhaps most famous for his dominance at Roland Garros and his remarkable rivalry with Federer, missed most of 2023 with a hip injury.<\/p>\n<p>He goes down as the most successful player in French Open history having won 14 singles titles in Paris and winning 112 of his 116 matches at the Grand Slam.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n<div><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/comp-1728555661.png?w=1024\" width=\"1500\" alt=\"Rafael Nadal pictured celebrating after winning a French Open match\" class=\"wp-image-21770382\" height=\"843\"><\/div><figcaption>Rafael Nadal earned the nickname \u2018King of Clay\u2019 in Paris (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Nadal won the US Open four times and clinched two titles at Wimbledon and the Australian Open respectively. <\/p>\n<p>He won an Olympic gold medal in singles at 2008 Beijing and in doubles at Rio 2016 alongside Marc Lopez.<\/p>\n<p>Nadal has helped Spain win the team-based Davis Cup five times and last month he was included in their squad for the 2024 Finals, which take place from November 19 to November 24.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n<div><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/GettyImages-102617039.jpg?quality=90&#038;strip=all&#038;w=1024\" width=\"1024\" alt=\"Rafael Nadal pictured with the Wimbledon trophy in 2010\" class=\"wp-image-21770368\" height=\"683\"><\/div><figcaption>Rafael Nadal won the Wimbledon title in 2008 and 2010 (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u2018I think it\u2019s the appropriate time to put an end to a career that has been long and much more successful than I could ever have imagined,\u2019 Nadal added.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018I\u2019m very excited that my last tournament will be the final of the Davis Cup and representing my country.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>That will be Nadal\u2019s last professional appearance, although <a data-id=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2024\/09\/23\/roger-federer-will-consider-retirement-u-turn-face-rafael-nadal-says-agent-21654142\/#:~:text=Roger%20Federer%20will%20'consider'%20retirement,Nadal%2C%20says%20agent%20%7C%20Metro%20News\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2024\/09\/23\/roger-federer-will-consider-retirement-u-turn-face-rafael-nadal-says-agent-21654142\/#:~:text=Roger%20Federer%20will%20%27consider%27%20retirement,Nadal%2C%20says%20agent%20%7C%20Metro%20News\" data-type=\"link\">he could potentially play one last exhibition match with Federer<\/a> if the right offer came along.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n<div><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/GettyImages-1426715113.jpg?quality=90&#038;strip=all&#038;w=1024\" width=\"3520\" alt=\" Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal pictured together on a tennis court\" class=\"wp-image-21654886\" height=\"2157\"><\/div><figcaption>Rafael Nadal was famous for his rivalry with Roger Federer (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Once fierce rivals, Nadal and Federer are now very close friends and played doubles together when the Swiss hero hung up his own racket in 2022.<\/p>\n<p>Federer hailed Nadal earlier this year after the Olympic Games in Paris and said: \u2018He\u2019s been one of the most iconic tennis players we have ever had in our sport.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018I just hope he can go out on his terms and the way he wants to, but he\u2019s a great guy, great career.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Djokovic has also spoken highly of Nadal, and speaking last month, the Serbian said: \u2018He is the greatest, maybe the only reason why I don\u2019t have more Roland Garros titles. Every win against him there is worth twice as much.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>\nFuente: https:\/\/ift.tt\/fvWCrnb<br \/>\nPublicado: October 10, 2024 at 03:42AM<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Rafael Nadal won a record 14 French Open titles (Picture: Getty) Rafael Nadal has officially announced his retirement from tennis, following an incredible career which saw him win 22 Grand Slam titles. A whopping 14 of those came at the French Open, with the 38-year-old Spanish legend earning the nickname \u2018King of Clay\u2019 due to&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[91],"tags":[75,76,77],"class_list":["post-3803","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-news","tag-noticias","tag-viral"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hectorkott.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3803","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hectorkott.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hectorkott.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hectorkott.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hectorkott.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3803"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/hectorkott.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3803\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3804,"href":"https:\/\/hectorkott.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3803\/revisions\/3804"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hectorkott.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3803"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hectorkott.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3803"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hectorkott.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3803"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}