The great Rafael Nadal, who won two Australian Open titles among his 22 Grand Slam singles trophies, has announced the end to a glittering playing career spanning more than 20 years.
In an emotional video posted to his social media channels, Nadal explained that physical limitations, especially in the past two especially challenging years, had influenced his decision to make his final competitive appearance at November’s Davis Cup Finals in Spain.
“It is obviously a difficult decision, one that has taken me some time to make,” said the 38-year-old, in comments translated from Spanish.
“But in this life, everything has a beginning and an end. And I think it’s the appropriate time to put an end to a career that has been long and much more successful than I could have ever imagined.
“I leave with the absolute peace of mind of having given my best, of having made an effort in every way.”
Nadal’s announcement follows Andy Murray’s retirement in August, and the similarly high-profile retirements of Roger Federer – whom Nadal acknowledged in the video as one of his great rivals – and Serena Williams, both in 2022.
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Of that golden generation, only Novak Djokovic now remains.
Nadal’s achievements at other majors are often overshadowed by his success at Roland Garros, where he won a record 14 singles titles and built an otherworldly win-loss record of 112-4 – a winning rate of almost 97 per cent.
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But he notched several special milestones at the Australian Open.
Melbourne Park is where he reached the second week of a major for the first time, as a prodigious 18-year-old who pushed eventual finalist Lleyton Hewitt to five pulsating sets in 2005.
In 2009, it’s where he won his first hard-court major to complete his career “Surface Slam”, thanks to a five-set win over Federer. It was a victory that established Nadal as the game’s premier player, ranked No.1 and the reigning titleholder at Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the Australian Open.
It took 13 years before Nadal reigned again at Melbourne Park, marking the longest gap between first and second titles at the same Grand Slam tournament in Open-era history.
His 2022 win in the final over Daniil Medvedev, after trailing two sets to love and facing triple break point in the third set, remains one of the finest comebacks of his career.
Roland Garros aside, Nadal finishes his career with more match wins (77) and final appearances (six) at the Australian Open than at any other major.
In between his 2009 and 2022 victories, Nadal played 11 Australian Opens and reached at least the quarterfinal stage at 10 of them – a span of consistency unmatched anywhere away from Paris.
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Nadal also has a proud history of coming through epic five-setters at Melbourne Park, matches considered among some of the Australian Open’s best.
As we farewell this legend of the sport, we re-visit five of his greatest AO match victories.
2009 semifinals: Rafael Nadal d Fernando Verdasco
More than 15 years on, this semifinal is still considered one of the great Grand Slam duels of the modern era.
Countrymen and fellow lefties Nadal and Verdasco traded blows at Rod Laver Arena for five hours and 14 minutes, a match rich with highlight reel-worthy points.
Nadal’s greater experience at the pointy end of majors shone through as Verdasco’s extraordinary challenge ended on a double fault.
“For sure for me is amazing be in this final, especially with one match like today, no? Fernando was playing I think his best level in his career,” Nadal said after winning 6-7(4) 6-4 7-6(2) 6-7(1) 6-4.
“Today was one of these matches you gonna remember long time, no? Well, the emotion was big, because in the last game with the [score at] 0-40 I start to cry. Was too much tension, no?”
2009 final: Rafael Nadal d Roger Federer
Nadal somehow found the energy reserves and willpower to back up that colossal semifinal with another five-set effort in the subsequent final.
Facing Federer, then his greatest rival, the Spaniard and the Swiss played out a magnificent finale, another battle memorable for its succession of high-quality points.
Having dominated Federer on clay, Nadal was starting to gain ground on his great rival on other surfaces too, upsetting Federer in an incredible 2008 Wimbledon final on grass six months earlier.
With his 7-5 3-6 7-6(3) 3-6 6-2 victory at Melbourne Park, he had now dethroned the Swiss on hard courts, too, and at that point held three of the sport’s four major titles.
2017 third round: Rafael Nadal d Alexander Zverev
At this point in time, Zverev was a rapidly-improving teenager considered one of the sport’s brightest prospects.
It was easy to see why, when he took a two-sets-to-one lead over Nadal in their third-round encounter at AO 2017.
Throughout his career, Zverev has always pushed Nadal to the brink, even holding a match point in their 2016 meeting at Indian Wells, less than a year earlier.
But like then, Nadal again found a way, recovering to win 4-6 6-3 6-7(5) 6-3 6-2.
“Is always a special play in this Rod Laver Arena. Is a great crowd. Is a great atmosphere always. The court is amazing, so beautiful,” Nadal said afterward.
“I feel the support of the crowd. For me that means a lot, no? Just that fact give me a lot of positive energy and a lot of motivation to keep going and keep fighting every day.”
2017 semifinals: Rafael Nadal d Grigor Dimitrov
Nadal kept fighting all the way through to the semifinals, marking his best result at Melbourne Park in three years.
There, he met a resurgent Grigor Dimitrov, who played extraordinary tennis and pushed Nadal to the limit in an unforgettable encounter lasting almost five hours.
Their shot-making skills and athleticism pitted against one another, Nadal and Dimitrov thrilled the packed crowd at Rod Laver Arena before Nadal completed a 6-3 5-7 7-6(5) 6-7(4) 6-4 triumph.
“I think Grigor played great. I played great. So was a great quality of tennis tonight,” Nadal said. “Just I think I feel very happy to be part of this match, no? I think both of us deserve to be in that final. Was a great fight. Finally was me. I feel lucky.”
It earned him a fourth Australian Open final in his past eight visits to Melbourne Park.
2022 final: Rafael Nadal d Daniil Medvedev
When Medvedev struck a backhand winner to lead 2-6, 6-7, 2-3, 0-40 in the AO 2022 final, all appeared lost for Nadal.
But the Spaniard served his way out of trouble in that sixth game of the third set, and suddenly, one of the great Grand Slam comebacks was in full swing.
Roared on by a passionate crowd, Nadal reeled Medvedev in and ultimately prevailed 2-6 6-7(5) 6-4 6-4 7-5 in a final lasting almost five-and-a-half hours.
A second AO victory, coming 13 years after his first, marked the beginning of a stunning season which also featured the Roland Garros title – his 22nd and final major – and Wimbledon semifinal.
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“If we put everything together, the scenario, the momentum, what [it] means. Yeah, without a doubt probably have been the biggest comeback of my tennis career,” said Nadal, who missed the second half of 2021 due to injury.
“I believe today is an unforgettable day… I feel lucky to achieve one more very special thing in my tennis career.”