Rafa returned to Mallorca on Wednesday, pronouncing his retirement with a big smile on his face. Never dreaming about achieving so much between 2005 and 2022, the Spaniard closed an important chapter of his life. At 38, he will focus on his family and tennis Academy while sharing his knowledge with the upcoming stars.

It was an emotional farewell from tennis for Nadal this week after Spain was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Davis Cup in Malaga

Nadal's greatest rival was probably not across the net, but his own body. "The only question with Rafa is physically how much his body can handle the pounding with how hard he works for every point," said American 14-times Grand Slam winner Pete Sampras in a 2010 interview with Reuters.

Rafael Nadal retires from professional tennis after a 23-year career like no other. On a night of gratitude and grief, Spain led the world in saying "Gracias Rafa".