The Mud King abdicates his throne.
Spain Rafael Nadal– who cemented himself throughout his career as one of the greatest players to ever pick up a racket – shared his retirement from tennis after more than twenty years on the professional circuit.
“The truth is that they have been some difficult years, especially the last two years,” Rafael noted in his announcement video on October 10, referring to the repeated injuries that have plagued him in recent history. “I don’t think I’ve been able to play without restrictions. It’s obviously a difficult decision, and one that took me a while to make.”
He continued: “But in this life, the video alternated between him speaking in front of the camera and clips from every era of his career. Everything has a beginning and an end. I believe this is the right time to end a career that has been long and more successful than I could have ever imagined.
And he was successful. After all, there are few tennis players who have shown such mastery of will, fighting so hard for every point, regardless of the score.