Rafael Nadal has retired from tennis a legend, having lifted the French Open trophy a record 14 times.
Carlos Alcaraz has messaged Nadal following his retirement, with the pair having suffered an early Davis Cup Finals exit.
Spain lost 2-1 to the Netherlands in their quarter-final in Malaga, with Nadal losing his last match to Botic van de Zandschulp.
But he leaves tennis with a phenomenal honours list, with his 14 Roland Garros titles accompanied by four US Open wins and two titles at both the Australian Open and Wimbledon.
Only Novak Djokovic (24) has won more Grand Slam titles than the Spaniard, but Nadal is well ahead when it comes to the French Open.
Roland Garros messages 14-time champion Rafael Nadal
Fittingly, both his first and last Grand Slam titles came at Roland Garros, with the event’s official X account now sending a message to the veteran after his retirement from the sport.
“Dear Rafa, it has been a privilege to watch you evolve on our clay, where you will leave a perpetual mark on such a challenging surface,” wrote Roland Garros. “We’re proud to count you as our greatest champion, as much for your 14 titles as for the man you are.
“Your legacy will live on forever, on and off the tennis courts. Victory belongs to the most tenacious. Legend belongs to the King of clay.
“Thank you for the countless memories we’ve shared together. We wish you all the best for the future. Roland-Garros has been and always will be your home. Hasta pronto, amigo. Roland-Garros.”
Wimbledon reaches out to ‘legend’ Rafael Nadal after his retirement
Nadal kickstarted his remarkable major career with a win over Mariano Puerta back in 2005, with his final French Open success coming over Casper Ruud in 2022.
He did, of course, enjoy plenty of success elsewhere, with the Spaniard boasting a fantastic 92 ATP Tour-level titles overall.
Former world number one Nadal will be hugely missed by many in and out of tennis, and leaves Djokovic as the only remaining member of the ‘Big Three’ after Federer retired in 2022.
The official Wimbledon X account also had kind words for the Spanish legend after his retirement, writing: “From prodigy, to contender, to champion, to legend. How lucky we were to see Rafael Nadal’s career unfold.”
It will indeed take tennis some time to recover from his absence, and of course for the player himself to truly say goodbye to his glittering career.
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