Final update of Rafael Nadal's tennis player career: Spaniard registers himself as 'retired' to ITIA

Spanish tennis great Rafael Nadal has officially registered himself as 'retired.' Logging into the website of the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) will now show the 22-time Grand Slam titlist as 'retired' on December 5, 2024.

Once a player has declared themselves retired from the sport, they "may not return to sanctioned events unless they have made themselves available for out-of-competition testing for at least six months prior to the event in question," states the ITIA's website.

Rafael Nadal's name now appears on the ITIA's list of retired players. (Screenshot of the ITIA website)

The development comes within weeks of Nadal announcing his retirement from competitive tennis after a couple of injury-plagued years that saw the former World No. 1 slip out of the Top 100 in over a decade. The Spaniard's 2023 season ended after a second-round loss to American Mackenzie McDonald at the Australian Open. A comeback bid in 2024 was derailed by a further spate of injuries, and he announced his retirement at the end of the Davis Cup.

The Spaniard, 38, was defeated by Botic van de Zandschulp in his singles rubber at the Davis Cup quarterfinal held in Malaga in his home country. World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz overcame the challenge from Tallon Griekspoor to keep the tie alive but the Spanish team of Alcaraz and Marcel Granollers failed to win the doubles match, handing victory to the eventual finalists.

Nadal's last ATP tour final came in July. He made the final of the Swedish Open in Bastad, where he lost to Nuno Borges of Portugal in the decider.

Rafael Nadal shares his thoughts on retirement

Rafael Nadal bared his soul after his final competitive tournament at the Davis Cup - Source: Getty

After his final Davis Cup match representing Spain, tennis legend Rafael Nadal opened up regarding his thoughts on retirement.

The former World No. 1 said, "What I've tried to do is be a good person and I hope you've perceived that way. I'm leaving this world having found a lot of friends along the way. I have so many people I would appreciate. I'm leaving with the peace of mind to have left a sporting and personal legacy,"

The Spaniard stressed that he would like to "be remembered as a good person from a small town in Mallorca," adding that he was just a kid who followed his dreams.

Rafael Nadal is considered the greatest clay courter in the history of the game and one of the prominent names in the GOAT (Greatest of All Time) debate. During his two-decade-long career, the Spaniard racked up 92 tour-level trophies and earned almost $135 million in prize money.