Rafael Nadal and the seven wonders of Grand Slam finals

Rafael Nadal on Thursday withdrew from the French Open and announced that 2024 will likely be his last season in tennis after a career which has brought him 22 Grand Slam titles.

AFP Sport recalls seven of the Spaniard's greatest Grand Slam finals:

2005 French Open

Nadal bt Mariano Puerta 6-7 (7/6), 6-3, 6-1, 7-5

The one that started it all.

Nadal came in as an 18-year-old left-hander on the rise, with a huge top-spin forehand and expectations to match.

He won all three clay-court lead-up tournaments, in Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Rome and there was a buzz growing around Nadal as he took to court in a sleeveless shirt, prowling like a young matador.

He blasted through the draw taking out Richard Gasquet, Sebastien Grosjean and David Ferrer.

But the real test came in the semi-final against world number one Roger Federer. The pair had never met on clay.

It was Nadal's 19th birthday and he won 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.

Little-known Puerta of Argentina, ranked 37, was dispatched in a four-set final and Nadal would not lose another match on the Paris clay until 2009.

2008 Wimbledon

Nadal bt Federer 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (7/5), 6-7 (10/8), 9-7

A match that is widely remembered as one of the greatest tennis matches of all time, it went to Nadal after an incredible four hours, 48 minutes of action.

Scheduled for a 2pm start, the final began late because of rain, had two more rain delays, and ended in light so bad that the Hawk-Eye line-calling system had ceased to work.

Federer clawed back a two-set deficit and saved two match points in the fourth set to take it the distance.

The sheer quality of tennis was like nothing seen before until Federer finally erred, finding the net at 9:21 pm to hand Nadal, who fell on his back onto the grass in relief,