Rafael Nadal to call it a career after 2024 Davis Cup Final

The tennis world received some sad news Thursday, as Rafael Nadal announced his retirement from the sport. Nadal will hang up the rackets for good after the 2024 Davis Cup Final, which takes place Nov. 19-24 in Malaga, Spain.

The 38-year-old posted an almost five-minute video to his social media letting the tennis world know about his retirement plans. In the video, Nadal speaks Spanish as he looks back on his tennis journey and thanks everyone who made it happen. The caption, translated in 12 different languages, says, "Many thanks to all."

Nadal's final season was not what the 22-time Grand Slam champion hoped for. Unfortunately, injuries made it difficult for him to compete most of the year, as he played just one of the four Majors in 2024. Despite the injuries and lack of matches, Nadal made a run at the ATP 250 event in Bastad, losing to Nuno Borges in the final.

Rafael Nadal announces his retirement

With the announcement of Rafael Nadal's retirement, the era of the Big 3 is on its last legs. After Roger Federer's retirement in 2022, tennis fans knew that Nadal's would soon follow. With just Novak Djokovic remaining after this year, the Big 3 era is inching closer and closer to full retirement.

Nadal finishes his career with 22 Grand Slam titles. He captured 92 singles titles, and it is only fitting that his last one came at the 2022 French Open, the tournament he has won a record 14 times. The King of Clay went 112-4 at the French Open and was 14-0 when reaching the final.

The retirement of Rafael Nadal will be a tough pill to swallow for the tennis community, especially as many still recover from Federer's retirement. However, fans will get to see the tennis legend compete one final time against the world's best at an event he has dominated throughout his career.

Nadal has a career record of 37-5 at the Davis Cup, which includes a 29-1 record in singles matches. Spain will take on the Netherlands in the quarterfinals when the tournament begins on Nov.19.

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