Rafael Nadal enjoyed a legendary career in tennis, breaking records throughout as he won the sport’s biggest titles.
Spanish star Nadal won a mightily impressive 22 Major titles as a professional, a number bettered by just one player in the history of the ATP Tour.
14 of his 22 Grand Slam successes came at the French Open, a record achievement many believe will never be matched.
He won his 22nd and final Major at Roland Garros in 2022, 17 years after his first, as Nadal beat Casper Ruud in Paris.
Nadal retired from tennis upon the conclusion of the 2024 Davis Cup, having struggled with injuries for several years.
Speaking to a former world number one, Nadal has now revealed the exact moment he decided it was time to hang up the racket for good.
Rafael Nadal knew it was ‘over’ after the 2024 Olympic Games and decided to retire from tennis
Speaking to American legend Andy Roddick, Nadal reflected on the last year of his career, and how he attempted to make a comeback to the top of men’s tennis after a major surgery.
“After the surgery things went more or less well, we started the recovery process, take six or seven months,” he said.
“I started practicing, I felt quite well, but the problem is I still had the feeling that I was not able to push, I felt some limitations in that area.
“So I give myself time to see if I am able to recover myself the proper way, because in terms of tennis, I still feel well in myself, still felt competitive, I didn’t feel like I lost speed on the ball, just needed to recover the physical confidence and take out the limitation.
“That’s why all these months had been difficult because in some way I felt at some point maybe that it’s going to go well, I was able to compete, but I was not able to compete at the level that I wanted for different reasons, because I was not playing well maybe.”
The 38-year-old then revealed how he knew it was time to retire from the sport.
“Inside myself, I was not able to move the way that I was used to moving,” said Nadal.
“After Olympics, I came back home and said it’s over, I feel it.
“Before I didn’t feel it, I wanted to give myself the time.
“After that, I say okay, it doesn’t make sense, I don’t feel like with this issue I’m going to come back and be competitive at the level that motivates me.
“When I felt that, it was over.”
How did Rafael Nadal perform at the 2024 Olympic Games?
The Spaniard may have made the decision to retire after the Olympics last year, but how did he perform in Paris?
Nadal competed alongside Carlos Alcaraz in the doubles, and in singles competition as he looked to end his career with another Olympic Medal.
In singles, Nadal won his opening match against Marton Fucsovics in three sets, 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, setting up a mouth-watering contest between two of the sport’s greatest ever players.
For the 60th and final time, Nadal came face to face with Novak Djokovic, as the pair battled it out for a place in the last 16.
The Spaniard was unable to level their head-to-head at 30-30, however, as he fell to a convincing, 1-6, 4-6, defeat, signalling the end of his Olympic singles career.
His journey wasn’t over yet as he took to the court alongside Alcaraz, searching for success in the doubles.
The pair immediately clicked, advancing to the quarter-finals in good form, as their Medal hopes grew stronger.
- 1R – Rafael Nadal/Carlos Alcaraz beat Maximo Gonzalez/Andres Molteni, 7-6, 6-4
- 2R – Rafael Nadal/Carlos Alcaraz beat Tallon Griekspoor/Wesley Koolhof, 6-4, 6-7, [10-2]
In the quarter-finals, Nadal and Alcaraz took on the experienced American duo of Rajeev Ram and Austin Krajicek.
Unfortunately for Nadal it was the Americans who prevailed, winning in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4, as he exited Court Philippe Chatrier one final time.
On his final visit to the Olympic Games, he was unable to add to his Medal collection, having previously won Gold at the 2008 Beijing Games in singles, and Gold at the 2016 Rio Games in doubles alongside Marc Lopez.
Nadal retired as both an Olympic and tennis legend, inspiring and entertaining millions of fans during his 20+year stint as a professional.
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