Former world number 1, Rafael Nadal, in a video released on Thursday, October 10, 2024, announced that he will retire from international tennis after the Davis Cup finals in November 2024.
The announcement does not come as a surprise, as everybody already knows that his upcoming tournament appearance will be his last as a Spanish tennis legend who has been battling with injuries for the past two years, will be his last.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion’s retirement has sparked a wave of reaction and tribute. Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz also paid tribute to Nadal.
The four-time Grand Slam champion reacted to his ‘idol’ retirement saying, “Well, it was, honestly, I couldn’t believe it when I watched it. It is a really difficult thing, really difficult news for everybody, and even tougher for me. He has been my idol since I started playing tennis. I look up to him.”
“Proudly, thanks to him, I really wanted to become a professional tennis player. Losing him, in a certain way, is going to be difficult for us, so I will try to enjoy as much as I can when he’s going to play,” he further added.
Alcaraz said he is looking forward to spending as much time as he can during play “in Saudi Arabia and then the Davis Cup.”
Meanwhile, Djokovic wrote, “You have inspired millions of children to start playing tennis and I think that's probably the greatest achievement anyone can wish for. Your tenacity, dedication, and fighting spirit are going to be taught for decades. Your legacy will live forever."
Djokovic and Alcaraz are currently playing the Shanghai Masters in China.
