After Rafael Nadal's Retirement, Jasprit Bumrah Writes Heart-Stirring Tribute For Tennis Legend

Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah paid tribute to Spanish tennis legend Rafael Nadal after the 22-time Grand Slam champion announced his retirement from the sport on Thursday. Nadal will be retiring from professional tennis at the end of the 2024 season, announced the sporting icon on social media. The 38-year-old's last professional event will be the Davis Cup Final, which will be started from Malaga from November 19-24, as per ATP. Taking to Instagram, Bumrah posted a story paying tribute to the tennis great, saying, "Grit. Determination. And an absolute fighter. Congratulations on a truly remarkable career."

In a video posted on his official X handle, Nadal said as quoted by ATP's official website, "Hello everyone, I am here to let you know I am retiring from professional tennis. The reality is it has been some difficult years, these last two especially. I do not think I have been able to play without limitations."

"It is obviously a difficult decision, one that has taken me some time to make, but in this life, everything has a beginning and an end, and I think it is the appropriate time to put an end to a career that has been long and much more successful than I could have ever imagined," he added.

A 92-time tour-level champion, including 22 grand slam titles, spent 209 weeks at number one in the ATP Rankings. Nadal has been one of the greatest players to have played the sport and a part of the 'Big Three' of modern tennis along with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. Nadal has won a record 14 French Open crowns, which still remains an unmatched feat to this day.

Nadal's illustrious career will conclude at the home soil of Malaga, where he will be playing for the Spanish Davis Cup, which includes the young