In his announcement, Rafael shared his final professional tournament will be in the Davis Cup’s Final 8 round in November, where he will represent his country.
It is a “full circle” moment for the player, as he noted a major turning point in his early career was the Davis Cup final in 2004, held in Sevilla, in which he bested world No. 2 Andy Roddick at the age of 18 to take home the title for Spain.
“I feel super, super lucky for all the things I’ve been able to experience,” the 38-year-old continued. “I want to thank the entire tennis industry, All the people involved in this sport: my long-time colleagues, especially my great rivals.”
And as clips of Rafael shaking hands with Novak and Roger Federer, who also became one of his closest friends, played, he added, “I have spent many, many hours with them, and I have lived many moments that I will remember for the rest of my life.”
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