Rafael Nadal closed the curtain on his remarkable tennis career Tuesday with a 6-4, 6-4 loss to Botic van de Zandschulp in the Davis Cup quarterfinals. The 38-year-old icon had announced last month that the tournament would mark his retirement.

Nadal leaves the sport as one of tennis’ greatest, with 92 singles titles (fifth all-time), 22 Grand Slam victories (second-most), and two Olympic gold medals. Renowned for his dominance on clay, he set an unparalleled record with 14 French Open titles, including a streak of nine wins in 10 finals and another run of four consecutive victories from 2017 to 2020. His final major win came at Roland-Garros in 2022.

 

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Throughout his career, Nadal was a fierce competitor and a consistent rival to Roger Federer, who had already claimed seven Grand Slam titles by the time Nadal won his first French Open in 2005. The two legends faced off 40 times, with Nadal holding a 24-16 advantage, including an undefeated 6-0 record against Federer at Roland-Garros. Despite their rivalry, Federer shared heartfelt praise for Nadal, writing, “You beat me — a lot… You made me work harder than I thought I could, even forcing me to reimagine my game. Rafa, your old friend will always be cheering for you.”

Nadal’s battles with Novak Djokovic were equally legendary, with the pair meeting 60 times over their careers. While Djokovic leads their overall rivalry 31-29, Nadal holds a slight edge in major finals at 5-4. Together with Federer, the trio dominated professional tennis for two decades, amassing a combined 66 Grand Slam titles.

Injuries plagued Nadal later in his career, sidelining him frequently since 2012. Despite these setbacks, he managed a historic 2022 season, winning both the French and Australian Opens. However, after undergoing hip surgery in June 2023, he struggled to compete, failing to qualify for three of the next four majors and exiting early in his final French Open.

Reflecting on his legacy, Nadal said, “The titles and numbers are there, but what matters most is being remembered as a good person from a small village in Mallorca.”