On Tuesday night the curtain was drawn on the illustrious career of the 22-time Grand Slam champion, Rafael Nadal.

The 38-year-old tennis superstar was representing Spain in the finals of the Davis Cup, and they were eliminated by the Netherlands in the quarter-finals.

In what was his last game, the King of Clay was beaten 6-4 and 6-4 by Botic van de Zandschulp in the singles.

While Carlos Alcaraz beat Tallon Griekspoor 7-6 and 6-3, the Dutch secured the tie and a place in the semi-finals against Canada or Germany by winning the doubles.

Rafael Nadal: “Sadece iyi bir insan ve hayallerinin pesinden giden bir çocuk olarak hatirlanmak istiyorum.” ??

pic.twitter.com/XCMWgPx0Br

— TenisHaberleri (@SadeceTenis) November 19, 2024

Over the past few years, Nadal has suffered numerous injury setbacks and this forced him to compete at the highest level less and less. Speaking on his retirement, Nadal said that he is at peace with his decision to retire, and it was a case of that he had to listen to his body.

“I leave with the peace of mind that I have left a legacy, which I really feel is not just a sporting one but a personal one,” said Nadal. “I understand that the love I have received if it was just for what happened on the court, would not be the same.

Rafael Nadal. Photo: X

“The titles and the numbers are there, so people probably know that, but the way that I would like to be remembered more is like a good person, from a small village in Mallorca. I had the luck that I had my uncle who was a tennis coach in my village when I was a very, very small kid, and a great family that supports me in every moment.

“I just want to be remembered as a good person, a kid who followed their dreams and achieved more than what I had ever dreamed.”

Nadal goes down as one of the greatest men’s singles players of all time with a staggering 92 ATP titles, which includes 36 Masters 1000 titles and an Olympic gold medal.

Breakdown of his titles

Rafael Nadal has won 92 ATP singles titles throughout his illustrious career. Here’s a breakdown of his titles by category:

Grand Slam Titles (22 titles):

• Australian Open: 2 (2009, 2022)
• French Open: 14 (2005–2008, 2010–2014, 2017–2020, 2022)
• Wimbledon: 2 (2008, 2010)
• US Open: 4 (2010, 2013, 2017, 2019)

ATP Masters 1000 Titles (36 titles):

• Nadal has won 36 Masters 1000 titles, including multiple victories in:
  • Monte Carlo: 11 titles (2005–2009, 2011–2012, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021)
  • Madrid: 5 titles (2005–2007, 2010, 2014)
  • Rome: 10 titles (2005–2007, 2009, 2012–2014, 2016, 2018–2019)
  • Canada (Toronto/Montreal): 5 titles (2005, 2008, 2013, 2018, 2019)

Olympic Gold Medal:

• Men’s Singles: 1 (2008, Beijing)

Other Titles:

• ATP 500 titles: 24 titles, including victories in tournaments like Barcelona, Acapulco, and Rotterdam.
• ATP 250 titles: 11 titles.

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek mvh