Rafael Nadal, winner of 22 Grand Slam titles, to retire from tennis

Rafael Nadal, one of tennis's greatest champions and the unquestioned clay court specialist of all time, announced Thursday he will retire from the sport at season's end.

In an Instagram post, Nadal said he will bow out after representing Spain, the host of next month's Davis Cup finals.

"It is a tough decision, one that has taken me time to make, but in this life, everything has a beginning and an end," Nadal said in the video post. "I believe it is the right time to put an end to a career that has been long and much more successful than I could have ever imagined."

Nadal won 22 Grand Slam titles between 2005 and 2022, as well as an Olympic gold medal in singles at the 2008 Beijing Games and gold in doubles at the 2016 Rio Olympics. The indefatigable player from Mallorca with the formidable forehand won two Australian Open titles, two Wimbledon titles from the all-England Club, four U.S. Open wins and a whopping 14 championships on the clay courts of the French Open.

Nadal's dominance in Paris is celebrated by a statue of him that stands near the main entrance to the grounds of Roland Garros and in the shadow of its main stadium, Court Philippe Chatrier.

Nadal's career ledger includes 92 tournament wins on the men's tour, including five on Canadian hard courts between 2005 and 2019.

Nadal, 38, thanked his wife Mery, extended family, coaches and tream throughout the years.

The veteran player referenced a difficult past two seasons, which have been marred by injury. He underwent hip surgery, missed four consecutive major tournaments, and was eliminated in the first round at the French Open this year.

Nadal expressed frustration with the questions about his future after that loss.

"Every day I come here to answer whether