MADRID (AP) — Rafael Nadal is retiring from professional tennis at age 38, he announced Thursday, after winning 22 Grand Slam titles — 14 at the French Open — in a year unprecedented era he shared with rivals Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.

Nadal has rarely competed in the last two seasons due to injuries and said next month’s Davis Cup final would mark his farewell to the sport. He had Hip surgery in 2023 and only took part in two of the last eight major tournaments.

“The reality is that it has been a difficult few years, particularly the last two. I don’t think I could play without restrictions,” Nadal said in a video message. “It’s obviously a difficult decision that took me some time. But in this life everything has a beginning and an end.”

Nadal’s relentless, physical style of play – he pursued every point as if it were his last, sprinting and sliding into the right spot for the leaping bullwhip of a left forehand – made him special one of the greats of the game and the undisputed king of the clay court.

His record 14 French Open championships are more than anyone, man or woman, has won at any of the four major tournaments, a dominance highlighted by a statue of Nadal near the main entrance to the Roland Garros grounds and in the shadows of the main tournament is celebrated at the stadium, Court Philippe Chatrier.

In a result that symbolized the state of his body and his career, he was eliminated in the first round of the French Open this year, with a straight sets loss to eventual runner-up Alexander Zverev.

Nadal returned to this venue southwest of Paris for the Summer Olympics, where he lost in the second singles round to his old rival Djokovic and achieved the Quarterfinals in men’s doubles with Carlos Alcaraz. Nadal hasn’t played since. His farewell will also come while he represents Spain at the Davis Cup in Malaga.

“Her legacy will not be surpassed,” Alcaraz, widely considered Nadal’s heir in Spanish tennis, said on Thursday. “I enjoyed you and will miss you greatly when you retire after the Davis Cup.”

Among them were the football greats Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappé Stars from the sports world also a homage to Nadal.

In addition to his triumphs at the French Open, Nadal won four trophies at the US Open and two each at Wimbledon and the Australian Open, giving him a career Grand Slam.

“It is the right time to put an end to a career that has been long and much more successful than I could ever have imagined,” Nadal said.

His last two major titles came in 2022, in Melbourne and Paris, edging him ahead of Federer, who held the men’s record of 20 Grand Slam titles when he announced his retirement at age 41. Federer said goodbye at the end of 2022 Collaboration with Nadal in a double game at the Laver Cup.

Both have since been surpassed by the 37-year-old Djokovic, who is up to 24 majors.

Much of Nadal’s success has been seen, fairly or not, through the prism of his encounters with Federer and Djokovic. The tennis world and many others have been busy debating who is most deserving of the nickname “GOAT” – “Greatest of All Time”. The world, tennis or otherwise, was fascinated by their matchups, their different styles and personalities.

Who among those who witnessed it could forget Nadal versus Federer in the 2008 Wimbledon final? Or Nadal vs. Djokovic in Quarterfinals of the French Open 2022? Or Nadal against Djokovic in the final of the Australian Open 2012? And so forth.

Nadal played Djokovic 60 times, a record for two men in the Open era; Djokovic leads 31-29 overall while Nadal leads 5-4 in the Slam final.

“You have inspired millions of children to start playing tennis and I think that is probably (the) biggest achievement you could ask for,” Novak Djokovic continued Instagram. “Your tenacity, commitment and fighting spirit have been taught for decades. Your legacy will live on forever… Thank you for pushing me to my limits so many times in our rivalry that shaped me most as a player.”

Nadal met Federer 40 times; Nadal led 24-16 overall, including 6-3 in the Slam final.

“Thank you for the unforgettable memories and all your incredible achievements in the game we love,” Federer told Nadal via social media.

This is definitely appropriate Nadal’s last major title came to the French Open two years ago (where he beat Djokovic) and was given painkilling injections for chronic pain in his left foot. He has struggled with and often overcome various injury issues over the years, and his 2023 and 2024 seasons were both limited due to hip and abdominal muscle issues.

Nadal injured his hip flexor in a second-round loss at the Australian Open in January 2023 and was out for the rest of the year; There was an operation for this in June.

After briefly making his comeback in January this year during a preparatory tournament for the Australian Open, he was forced to withdraw from the first major tournament of the year due to a torn hip muscle and was then sidelined again until returning to his beloved clay court at the Barcelona Open in April.

Nadal dates back to late 2022 when he was beaten by Frances Tiafoe in the fourth round at Flushing Meadows. Nadal is just 14-14, including 12-7 this year.

But his overall record is unimpeachable: a total of 209 weeks at No. 1 in the ATP rankings and almost 18 years of consecutive weeks in the top 10; 92 individual titles; 1,080-227 win-loss record; almost 135 million US dollars in prize money.

“Really, everything I experienced was a dream come true,” Nadal said. “I leave with the absolute certainty that I gave my best and made an effort in every way.”

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Fendrich reported from Philadelphia. Associated Press writers Joseph Wilson and James Ellingworth contributed to this report.

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AP Tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis