In this file photo, Rafael Nadal, of Spain, returns the ball to Dudi Sela, of Israel, during their men's singles match, on the second day of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London. (AP )

MADRID, Oct 10, (AP): Rafael Nadal is retiring from professional tennis at age 38, he announced in a video message Thursday, after winning 22 Grand Slam titles - 14 at the French Open - during an unprecedented era he shared with rivals Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.

Nadal has competed infrequently the past two seasons because of injuries and said next month’s Davis Cup finals will mark his farewell to the sport. He had hip surgery in 2023 and entered just two of the past eight major tournaments. "The reality is that it has been some difficult years, these last two, especially. I don’t think I have been able to play without limitations,” Nadal said.

"It is a difficult decision, one that has taken me some time to make. But in this life, everything has a beginning and an end.” Nadal’s unrelenting, physical style of play - every point pursued as though it were his last, sprinting and sliding into place for that high-bouncing bullwhip of a lefty forehand - made him one of the greats of the game and the unquestioned King of Clay, the slow, red surface on which he dominated.

His record 14 French Open championships are more than anyone, man or woman, won at any one of the sport’s four major tournaments, a dominance celebrated by a statue of Nadal that stands near the main entrance to the grounds of Roland Garros and in the shadow of its main stadium, Court Philippe Chatrier.

In a result that symbolized where things stood for his body and career, he exited in the French Open’s first round this year, a straight-set loss to eventual runner-up Alexander Zverev. Nadal returned to that site in southwest Paris for the Summer Olympics, where he lost to old rival Djokovic in the second round of singles and reached the quarterfinals of men’s doubles with Carlos Alcaraz. Nadal hasn’t played since. His goodbye will also come while representing Spain, at Malaga in the Davis Cup.