Rafael Nadal retires from tennis

Rafael Nadal has confirmed that he will be retiring from professional tennis. His final tournament will be the Davis Cup in Malaga next month, where he will represent Spain.

The 38-year-old tennis legend, who claimed 22 Grand Slam titles including 14 at the French Open, shared the news via a video message on X. "I am here to let you know I am retiring from professional tennis," Nadal said in a video released on Thursday. 

He continued by acknowledging the challenges he has faced in recent years, especially the last two: "The reality is that it has been some difficult years, the last two especially." He added, "I don't think I have been able to play without limitations."

Nadal ends his career as the second-most successful male singles player in history, trailing only his long-time competitor, Novak Djokovic.

Nicknamed the 'King of Clay', Nadal's 14 French Open singles victories stand as a record, with an incredible 112 wins out of 116 matches played at Roland Garros. No other player has matched this number of Grand Slam singles wins at a single tournament.