(Reuters) – The following is Rafa Nadal’s retirement statement in which the 22-times Grand Slam champion said on Thursday that he would end his career at the Davis Cup next month:
“Hello everybody. I’m here to tell you that I’m retiring from professional tennis. The reality is that these last two years have been difficult, especially. I don’t think I have been able to play without limitations.
“It’s obviously a difficult decision, which has taken me a long time to make. But in this life, everything has a beginning and an end.
“I think it’s the appropriate time to put an end to what has been a long and much more successful career than I could have ever imagined.
“But I am very excited that my last tournament is the final of the Davis Cup. Representing my country, I think is to come full circle, as one of my first great joys as a professional tennis player, because it was the final in Seville in 2004.
“I feel super, super lucky for all the things I have been able to experience. I want to thank the whole tennis industry, all the people who are involved in this sport. My teammates for so many years, especially my great rivals.
“I have spent so many hours with them and I have experienced so many moments that I will remember for the rest of my life.
“Talking about my team is a bit more difficult for me because in the end my team has been a very important part of my life. They are not just coworkers, they are friends. They have been by my side in all the moments that I’ve really needed them.
“Very bad moments, very good moments, moments when they have had to push me, moments when they gave me more slack. We have lived so much together that it is difficult to explain.
“Family is everything to me. My mother, I think she has made all the sacrifices she had to make so that we would always have everything. And my wife, Maria. We’ve been together for 19 years. Thank you for everything you’ve done.
“I think you’ve been the perfect travel companion for all these years of my career. To come home every day and see how my son is growing up has been a force that has really kept me alive and with the necessary energy to continue.
“My sister, I think we have always had an incredible relationship. My uncle, who is the reason why I started playing tennis. I believe that thanks to him I’ve also been able to overcome many situations that have been difficult in my sporting career.
“My father, who I believe has been a source of inspiration for me in every sense of the word. I think he has been an example of effort, of overcoming. Many, many thanks to my father in a very, very special way.
“And finally, you, the fans. I can’t thank you enough for what you have made me feel. You have given me the energy I needed at every moment for several weeks.
“Really, everything I have experienced has been a dream come true. I leave with the absolute peace of mind of having given my best, of having made an effort in every way.
“I can only finish by saying a thousand thanks to all and see you soon.”
(Compiled by Fernando Kallas and Rohith Nair; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
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