“Hello everyone, I am here to inform you that I am retiring from professional tennis. (…) It is a difficult decision that has taken me some time to make. But in this life, everything has a beginning and an end, and I believe that now is the right moment to conclude what has been a long and much more successful career than I could have ever imagined,” he shared emotionally through social media.
At 38, Nadal has made the decision that the Davis Cup Finals in November will be his last match as a professional athlete. A lifetime dedicated to tennis in which he has achieved great milestones for Spanish sports, including 14 Roland Garros, 22 Grand Slam titles, and 56 others in the ATP category.
A great track record that he has combined with other personal achievements. The tennis player has shown on numerous occasions to have an unbreakable bond with his family. While his uncle, Toni Nadal, has always been by his side as one of his coaches, his parents, Sebastián and Ana María, have also not wanted to miss his victories from the stands.
But if there is someone who has been present since he was only 19 years old, it has been his wife Mery Perelló. They met through the tennis player’s sister and started a courtship that lasted 17 years until they decided it was time to tie the knot. A wedding that took place in October 2019 in his homeland, Mallorca, surrounded by 300 guests.
And if this union has been one of the happiest moments in Rafael Nadal’s life, the birth of his first child far surpasses it by far. Despite complications during the pregnancy, which led to Mery requiring hospital care from week 31, Rafael Nadal Jr. arrived in the world in 2022. A birth that changed the couple’s life forever.
But while he will support his son’s decisions throughout his life, Nadal made it clear that he does not want him to pursue a career in the world of tennis: “I would prefer him to practice another sport.” This decision stems from the sacrifices he has had to make throughout his life, especially in recent years, which have been “particularly challenging,” as he stated in his retirement announcement.
And now that you have made this difficult decision, not only will you be able to spend more quality time with your family, but you will also be able to pursue your other passions. Although tennis has been your main sport, golf will always hold a special place in your heart.
Rafa Nadal has numerous businesses unrelated to the world of tennis
However, despite now having more free time, he does not plan to set aside his work life. The Rafa Nadal brand has expanded over the years to several companies and organizations that he himself has founded. The Tennis Academy and the foundation that bears his own name, which helps girls and boys to have a better future, are the tennis player’s key commitments.
Some stamps that join their businesses in the hospitality world. The Mallorcan created the ZEL hotels brand a few years ago, located in his native land. This adds to two other hotels in the Caribbean, his luxury residential in Madrid, and the Tatel gastronomic group. These businesses will make Nadal’s retirement more bearable.
