Rafael Nadal announced his impending retirement from tennis on Thursday at age 38 after winning 22 Grand Slam singles titles during an unprecedented era he shared with his rivals in the so-called Big Three, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. Nadal said he will retire after next month’s Davis Cup finals.

Tennis legend Rafael Nadal has announced his upcoming retirement from the sport after a glittering career in which he amassed 22 grand slam titles.

As a golden tennis era transitions into its next guise, when, how, and why to retire is one of the biggest questions in the sport.

Rafael Nadal, the 22-time Grand Slam champion, will retire from tennis at the end of this season. The 38-year-old will represent Spain in his final appearance at next month's Davis Cup Finals in Malaga. Nadal has barely played over the past two seasons because of injuries and suggested last year he could retire at the end of the 2024 season.

Rafael Nadal doesn't want to be a ceremonial figure at November's Davis Cup and revealed he won't play in the singles competition unless he believes he

Novak Djokovic has made a heartfelt plea to his long-time rival, Rafael Nadal, asking him to reconsider his planned retirement after defeating the Spanish legend in a highly anticipated exhibition match at the "Six Kings Slam" in Saudi Arabia.

The great rivals contested a record 60 competitive clashes during their careers, with the Serb leading 31-29, but there will be no more.