By the time the floodlights dimmed in Málaga last November, Rafael Nadal wasn’t just battling Botic van de Zandschulp—he was confronting something bigger. The sprinting legs that once ruled Roland Garros felt heavier. The forehand, still fierce, couldn’t compensate for a body that had begun saying no more. For over two decades, Nadal had played with pain—but in 2024, pain began to play with him. A chronic foot condition, Mueller-Weiss syndrome, had plagued him for years, leading to numbing injections during his 2022 French Open victory. In early 2023, a hip injury at the Australian Open sidelined him for months. A brief comeback in 2024 was halted by a torn hip muscle, forcing him to withdraw from the Australian Open once again. Each attempt to return was met with another setback, each rally a reminder of his body’s limitations. So when he said, “I was not able to move the way that I was used to move… it’s over. I feel it,” it wasn’t a simple statement.

In October 2024, Rafael Nadal shared a heartfelt video on Instagram, revealing his decision to retire from professional tennis. He stated, “I don’t think I have been able to play without limitations. It is obviously a difficult decision, one that has taken me some time to make.” This announcement came after a series of injuries that had plagued his recent seasons, including a hip injury at the 2023 Australian Open and a torn hip muscle that forced him to withdraw from the 2024 Australian Open.

In a subsequent interview with French outlet L’Équipe on May 22, 2025, Nadal reflected on his retirement decision. Having played his last match at the Davis Cup in November 2024, he described the transition as a significant change in his life. He remarked, “It’s a radical change in my life. People think it’s the end of a 20-year professional career, but in fact, I’ve been training like a professional since I was 8 years old! That’s practically 30 years doing one thing or devoting a large part of my life to one thing.”

Nadal candidly discussed the toll that the final year of his career took on him, both physically and emotionally. He admitted, “Maybe the last year of tennis was too much.” Elaborating on the challenges he faced, he said, “Because my body didn’t really allow me to compete at the level I loved. But I couldn’t know that.”

Back in October 2024, Nadal shared a video on his Instagram while dropping the shocking update on his future. He said, “I don’t think I have been able to play without limitations. It is obviously a difficult decision, one that has taken me some time to make.”

One can say the injuries really did ruin his chances to continue further. He further expressed these sentiments earlier this year while talking to former American pro Andy Roddick.

When Rafael Nadal revealed how physical limitations forced him to hang up the racket

Back in March this year, Rafael Nadal sat down with the 2003 US Open winner for an episode of his Served podcast. While discussing his career, he touched upon the failures caused by injuries. The Spaniard revealed how, in the second half of last year, he realized it was no longer possible for him to be flawless on the court.

“I came back from injury, things are feeling well now, so let’s practice, let’s prepare. So, in some way, I forget quickly what happened. I was able to go on court, practice with the intensity that I needed, and then I think I recovered the physical intensity quite fast. The tennis level was not a big issue for me most of the time,” he said.

To put it into perspective, Nadal’s collection of 22 Grand Slam titles could have been higher if not for a multitude of injuries. He missed 18 Grand Slams and had to withdraw from 5 in the wake of his injury woes.

“So you are able to live with that and go on court. You don’t feel, ‘Okay, maybe I have a limitation today,’ but most days, I don’t have that limitation. So you’re still believing, ‘Okay, I can keep fighting for the most important things,’” he continued.

Last November, he competed at the Davis Cup in Malaga, and played his last match at Palacio de Deportes, José María Martín Carpena. Sadly, he couldn’t win against Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp. The latter bested him in straight sets.

Nadal wanted to play without physical limitations. He just couldn’t. Hence, Rafa believed that it is time for him to say goodbye to his beloved arena and he officially bid adieu to the 78-feet tennis court with one final thought “In this life, everything has a beginning and an end.”