RAFAEL NADAL shared some never-before-seen footage with wife Maria Francisca Perello and their young son in an emotional retirement video.
The 22-time Grand Slam winner said farewell to tennis this week at the age of 38.
The Spanish legend has called time on his incredible 23-year career after struggling with injuries in recent years.
Nadal announced his retirement in a commemorative five-minute video, which paid homage to the important people in his inner circle.
After thanking his mother for her sacrifices, Nadal went on to share multiple sweet photos of his wife Maria, who he calls “Mery”.
While the sentimental images were being shown, Nadal said: “My wife, Mery, we’ve been together for 19 years. Thank you for everything you have done.
“I think you’ve been the perfect travel companion during all these years of my career.”
Personal clips of the couple’s two-year-old son Rafa were up next.
In the video, Rafael Junior was handed over to his dad on a training court as the pair began running around with a racket, before Maria was shown cuddling the adorable toddler.
The Tennis icon tearfully added: “To come home and see how my son is growing every day has been a force that has really kept me alive and with the necessary energy to continue.”
After 14 years together Nadal and Maria were “finally” married in October 2021 and welcomed their first child in October 2022.
The couple said their vows in front of around 350 guests at the La Fortaleza castle in Majorca, the island of his birth three years ago.
Nadal has been hinting at retirement for some time now amid his ongoing injury battles which he said forced him to “play with limitations”.
The tennis superstar will make his final appearance as a professional at next month’s Davis Cup finals in Malaga in front of an adoring home crowd.
And may well sign off sharing the court with Carlos Alcaraz, the heir to Rafa’s throne.
Nadal – who bows out as one of the all-time greats – shared the video on social media on Thursday which was captioned: “Many thanks to all.”
He is known as the King of Clay – having won a record 14 Roland Garros titles since the age of 19.
The Spaniard retires with a ridiculous 112-4 win-loss record at his beloved French Open.
Injuries and physical struggles took their toll throughout his career, particularly in his knees and his foot.
He was regularly forced to withdraw from tournaments between 2014 – 2017, before he came back to win five more French Opens and two US titles.
He also thanked his sister, uncle, dad and coaching team during his retirement announcement.
Novak Djokovic on 24 is the only man to have won more Majors.
Rafael Nadal’s farewell video in full
RAFAEL NADAL announced his retirement from professional tennis at the end of the 2024 season.
He released an emotional, five-minute video confirming his decision to hang up his racquets after 23 years on the ATP Tour and 22 Grand Slam titles.
Here’s what he said…
Hello everyone, I’m here to let you know that I am retiring from professional tennis.
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.
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’s the appropriate time to put an end to a career that has been long and much more successful than I could have ever imagined.
But I am very excited that my last tournament will be the final of the Davis Cup and representing my country.
I think I’ve come full circle, since one of my first great joys as a professional tennis player was the Davis Cup final in Sevilla in 2004.
I feel super, super lucky for all the things I’ve been able to experience. I want to thank the entire tennis industry.
All the people involved in this sport: my long-term colleagues, especially my great rivals.
I have spent many, many hours with them, and I have lived many moments that I will remember for the rest of my life.
Talking about my team is a little bit more difficult for me because in the end my team has been a very important part of my life.
They are not just co-workers, they are friends.
They have been by my side at all the times I have really needed them.
Very bad moments. Very good moments. Moments when I had to be pushed. Moments they gave me more slack.
We have lived so much together that it is hard to explain.
My family is everything to me.
My mother. I think she has made all the sacrifices she had to make so that we would always have everything.
My wife, Mery, we’ve been together for 19 years. Thank you for everything you have done.
I think you’ve been the perfect travel companion during all these years of (my) career.
To come home and see how my son is growing every day has been a force that has really kept me alive and with the necessary energy to continue.
My sister, I think we have always had an incredible relationship.
My uncle, who is the reason I started playing tennis.
I believe that thanks to him, I have also been able to overcome many situations that have been difficult in my sporting career.
And to my father, who I believe has been a source of inspiration for me in every sense of the word.
I think he has been an example of effort, of overcoming.
Many, many thanks to my father in a very, very special way.
And finally, you, the fans.
I can’t thank you enough for what you have made me feel.
You have given me the energy I have needed at every moment.
Really, everything I have experienced has been a dream come true.
I leave with the absolute peace of mind of having given my best, of having made an effort in every way.
I can only end by saying a thousand thanks to all and see you soon.
