A small muscle tear—a microstrain in his left leg during his match against Jordan Thompson at the Brisbane tournament, his first event of 2024—was yet another setback for Rafael Nadal. After a year away from competition due to injuries, the tennis icon found himself facing another pause in his career.

This marked the beginning of the end: an emotional and painful farewell, not just for Nadal but for the fans and the sport itself. Starting over yet again, plans shattered once more. Nadal officially said goodbye to tennis after 22 years as a professional, cementing his place among the greatest athletes of all time. His career was marked by fierce rivalries with other legends, battles for supremacy, and a constant struggle against injuries that often disrupted his journey.

His farewell at the Davis Cup in Málaga’s Martín Carpena Sports Palace was partly due to those injuries. It’s likely that retiring wasn’t on his mind at the start of the year, but his body made the decision for him. With 22 Grand Slam titles to his name, the toll was undeniable. Nadal’s resilience shone brightly in 2022 when, despite long rehabilitation periods, he claimed two more Grand Slam titles. He triumphed at the Australian Open in an epic comeback against Daniil Medvedev, clawing back from two sets down, and later won his 14th Roland Garros title.

But 2023 changed everything. Nadal's Australian Open campaign ended early with a loss to Mackenzie McDonald, hampered by a left psoas injury that required surgery months later. Social media became a platform for Nadal to announce his withdrawal from event after event until he finally announced an indefinite break in May.

When he returned in Brisbane nearly a year later, it was with optimism. However, fate intervened again. He missed the first Grand Slam of 2024 and later skipped Doha. His struggles continued throughout the clay-court season, with limited success. The whispers of retirement grew louder. Each appearance felt like a farewell, each match a celebration of his storied career. In tournaments like Barcelona, Madrid, and Rome, Nadal faced early exits. Even at Roland Garros, his most cherished battleground, he suffered a first-round defeat to Alexander Zverev.

Determined, Nadal pinned his hopes on the 2024 Paris Olympics. Despite reaching the final in Bastad and falling to Nuno Borges, the Games offered no redemption. In singles, he beat Hungary's Márton Fucsovics but lost to Novak Djokovic. In doubles, his partnership with Carlos Alcaraz ended in the quarterfinals.

A month ago, via video, Nadal announced his retirement at the Davis Cup in Málaga—a bittersweet farewell marked by both physical and emotional pain. Injuries had shadowed Nadal’s career from the start. A notable moment came in 2005, during the Madrid Masters final against Ivan Ljubičić, where Nadal, battling through injury, secured an epic victory. This success was a turning point, but it also highlighted the challenges ahead.

From a congenital foot condition (Müller-Weiss syndrome) to tendinitis, abdominal strains, and more, Nadal’s body often betrayed him. By comparison, Nadal endured three times as many injuries as Novak Djokovic and ten more than Roger Federer. The Spaniard suffered 24 significant injuries since 2002, missing 17 Grand Slams. Despite it all, Nadal’s numbers speak volumes. His career is a testament to perseverance, grit, and an unyielding spirit. He leaves the sport not by choice, but because his body finally said, “enough.”