Rafael Nadal makes his feelings crystal clear about retirement

Rafael Nadal bid tennis adieu in an emotional farewell at the 2024 Davis Cup Finals in Malaga, a tournament he won five times. The final match of his professional career was a 6-4, 6-4 defeat to Botic Van de Zandschulp.

The 38-year-old has dealt with a plethora of injuries over his illustrious career. However, a serious hip injury he suffered during the 2023 Australian Open proved to be too much for the then 36-year-old. Nadal this week said that his hip surgery didn't help as much as he thought it would.

He added that he was completely satisfied with himself for giving his best until the very end. Nadal said (via The National),

“The last year and a half have been very tough in terms of not being able to practice and compete on a regular basis and to the standard that I am used to. So I tried my best until the last day.

“I just did the surgery in my hip to try to keep going but it simply didn’t work as good as I needed it to be to keep going. But I’m 100 per cent at peace with myself that I tried my best until the last day, to have success, and to stay with calm with myself that I did all I could do to be very well satisfied with myself.”

Though Nadal returned to tennis at the beginning of the 2024 season, it was clear that he was a former shadow of himself. After struggling for nearly a year, he decided to retire.

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"I was just a kid who followed his dreams" - Rafael Nadal on leaving tennis with 'peace of mind'

The Spanish legend bidding the Malaga crowd adieu - Source: Getty

Rafael Nadal left the tennis world teary-eyed during his emotional farewell speech in November, as he thanked everyone who supported him throughout his career. During his speech at the Davis Cup Finals, he said he wanted the people to remember him as a "good person" and that he had made many friedns in hin time in the sport.

He 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."

He also gave a special mention to his uncle Toni for helping him follow his dreams.

"The numbers and the titles are there, but what I would like is to be remembered as a good person from a small town in Mallorca. I was lucky I had my Uncle Toni. I was just a kid who followed his dreams."

Rafael Nadal left tennis with some of the greatest accolades in the history of sports. The Spaniard won 14 French Opens, 22 Majors, 36 Masters 1000, and so much more. He was recently honored at his eponymous academy with a special "92" trophy, the number of titles he won, by his sister Maribel.