Nadal calls time on tennis career 'more successful than I could have imagined'

Rafael Nadal, one of the greatest tennis players of all time, has announced he will retire from professional tennis at the end of the season after next month's Davis Cup finals.

- Tumaini Carayol

Nadal has won 22 grand slam titles, placing him second on the men's all-time list behind Novak Djokovic, with 24. Fourteen of Nadal's came at Roland Garros; he has dominated the French Open unlike any player in the sport, with a 112-4 record. Nadal has won all four major titles multiple times and spent 209 weeks at No 1.

“It is obviously a difficult decision, one that has taken me some time to make,” Nadal said on social media in a video announcing his retirement. “But, in this life, everything has a beginning and an end. I think it is the appropriate time to put an end to a career that has been long and much more successful than I could have ever imagined.”

Two decades ago, Nadal arrived on the ATP Tour and quickly challenged Roger Federer's dominance, establishing himself as one of the greatest teenagers tennis has seen. Their rivalry, underscored by contrasting playing styles and approaches, increased global interest in the sport and sparked what many consider a golden era of men's tennis.