By McGeorge Mbare
One of the greatest ever man to grace the tennis court, Rafael Nadal has called time on his career. After an amazing career spanning over 20 years , the King of Clay as Nadal is affectionately known by his legion of fans exits the scene with 22 time grand slams and 92 ATP wins.
Nadal retired after Spain’s defeat by Netherlands in the Davis Cup quarterfinal held at Malaga, Spain.
Following his Association Tennis Professionals (ATP) Tour debut in 1999 ,The Spaniard has been ranked as the world‘s number one by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) for 209 weeks and also recognized as the year-end number one, five times.
Nadal illustrious career is laden with honours including, 22 grand slams, 92 ATP tour titles, two Olympic gold medals, four Davis final triumphs, 912 consecutive weeks in the top 10 and a record breaking 14 French open titles. Nadal is well known of recording the 81 consecutive wins on clay which constitute the longest single –surface win streak in the Open era.
Raphael Nadal has broken every tennis record, becoming one of the three men to complete the career golden slam in singles that is winning the four grand slams in a single year.. Additionally Nadal will be remember as one of the greatest tennis player of all times and also a member of the big three of men‘s tennis along with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.
Some tennis stars like Serena Williams who played throughout Nadal‘s career took social media to congratulate, appreciate the King of Clay on his retirement and the love the tennis sport.
“Congratulations on a career that most wont dare to dream of .I feel so fortunate to have been able to play when you were playing and being great .you inspired me to be better ,to play harder ,fight harder ,to never give up and to win more .No excuse just play the sport. Your legacy will never die. Wow to see your career from the beginning to today was an honor champ! Long live Rafa,” Serena Williams wrote on instagram.
The Spaniard is retiring as one of the most iconic athletes on the planet. Most importantly Nadal is remembered for his great rivalry with Roger Federer in their 24-16 Lexus ATP head to head series. Their rivalry is one of the biggest rivalries in the history of sport with their contrasting styles which generated a series of encounter that elevated tennis sport.