Rafael Nadal announced his retirement from professional tennis earlier today. However, before the 22-time Grand Slam winner made the big announcement, Nadal spent time celebrating with some famous friends — two-time F1 world champion, Fernando Alonso and former professional boxer, Dariusz Michalczewski.
The trio partied in Monaco just hours before Nadal revealed his decision to step away from the sport. The celebration in Monaco was shared on Instagram by @f1gossippofficial, which reported the party involving Nadal, Alonso, and Michalczewski.
Soon after the party, Alonso, who shares a close bond with Nadal as a fellow Spanish sporting icon, posted a tribute to him on social media.
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At the age of 38, Nadal has been struggling with injuries for the past two seasons. In 2023 and 2024, he made several attempts to come back but was constantly sidelined by injuries. This pattern of injury and recovery left Nadal facing the harsh reality that his body could no longer deal with the physical demands of professional tennis.
In a heartfelt video message released on Thursday, Nadal said: “I am here to let you know I am retiring from professional tennis. The reality is that it has been some difficult years, the last two especially. I don’t think I have been able to play without limitations.”
The Spaniard’s retirement marks the end of an era in tennis. Along with Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, Nadal was part of the famous “Big Three” that dominated men’s tennis for nearly two decades. Federer retired in 2022, and now with Nadal stepping away, two of the greatest players in tennis history have left the stage.
Nadal’s wish for his son to remain unfulfilled
Earlier this year, Nadal had expressed his wish to prolong his career so that his son could see him play professionally. “Well, I would love to play a little bit longer and give him a memory of myself playing tennis,” said Nadal as quoted by Reuters.
Rafael Nadal and his son Rafa Junior #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/JKpQ3KJZo2
— H (@HQpcrt) July 26, 2024
However, he knew it would be difficult to achieve due to his ongoing physical struggles. Despite this, Nadal expressed gratitude for the strong support system of family, friends, and his team, which had been with him throughout his career, helping him stay happy even through the tough times.
Rafael Nadal Jr., born in October 2022, is nearly two years old and unfortunately too young to remember seeing his father play in person. Nadal’s final competitive appearance will happen next month when he represents Spain in the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga.
