The Bible in the book of Ecclesiastes assures us that there’s time for everything in life, and in this life, everything has a beginning and an end. The beginning in question was 23 years ago, while the end is fast approaching just a few days from now during the ongoing Davis Cup in Malaga, Spain.

Rafael Nadal, one of the tennis greats, is expected to bring to a conclusion a glittering career in this year’s Davis Cup finals that is starting on Tuesday, November 19, 2024. Since turning professional in 2001 as a 15-year-old, Nadal has spent 2,543 hours and 15 minutes on court in 1,307 Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Tour matches, winning 1,080.

“I am not worried about the next chapter in my life. I have had lots of time in my life not playing tennis because of injuries, and therefore I accept the challenge of an important change in my life,” Nadal said.

The first title of his career came in 2004 on the clay courts of Sopot, a seaside resort city in northern Poland, before he rose to fame the following season. In 2005, Nadal broke into the world’s top 10, where he would stay for a record 912 consecutive weeks.

Building on his first title, Nadal went on to win 91 ATP Tour titles, including 22 Grand Slams: 14 at the French Open, four at the US Open, and two at both Wimbledon and the Australian Open. However, the US Open failed him the longest until 2010, when he conquered New York, becoming the youngest ATP player to complete the career Grand Slam.

Nadal’s dominance on the clay courts earned him the King of Clay nickname, and no player in tennis history is more successful than he is in the French Open. His name is synonymous with success emerging victorious on surface 14 times in 19 appearances as well as winning 112 of his 116 matches with just three of those going to five sets.

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In fact, during his career, only three players were able to defeat Nadal at the Roland Garros clay court: that is, Robin Soderling in 2009, Djokovic in 2015 and 2021, and Alexander Zverev earlier this year.

Alongside his individual success, Nadal has starred as a team player, winning four Davis Cup titles with Spain. Winning the fifth title in front of his fan base on the home soil would be a befitting farewell for the Spaniard.

Since losing his first match in the tournament back in 2004, Nadal has been unbeaten in 29 singles matches. While his ongoing 32-match winning streak across both singles and doubles is the longest in Davis Cup history, he hopes to retire unbeaten.

What a career! an icon of tennis prepares to hang up his racket.