Rafael Nadal has announced his plan to retire from tennis later this year. The 22-time Grand Slam winner will play in the final tournament of his illustrious career at next month’s Davis Cup Finals in Malaga.

It could be the perfect sign-off for Nadal, 38, if he can win his fifth Davis Cup title for Spain on home turf. In a video shared on social media, Nadal said: “I am here to let you know I am retiring from professional tennis. The reality is that it has been some difficult years, the last two especially. I don’t think I have been able to play without limitations.”

Nadal’s final major win came at the 2022 French Open as the ‘King of Clay’ claimed his 14th title at Roland Garros. While he has struggled with injuries, last competing at the Paris Olympics, Nadal and his family can fully embrace their luxury lifestyle once the tennis icon bows out of the sport.

Net Worth

Having previously held the record for men’s major singles titles, Nadal has enjoyed more than a handful of huge paydays. The ATP all-time prize money list sees Nadal rank second, only behind Novak Djokovic, having received £103million ($134.9m) for his efforts on the court.

Nadal has been a huge sporting star for almost 20 years, winning his first Grand Slam at the 2005 French Open. The Spanish ace will also have boosted his bank balance with numerous sponsorship deals, and Celebritynetworth.com estimates that Nadal is worth a staggering £168million ($220m).

Meanwhile, Forbes claims that Nadal has earned around £17.8million ($23.3m) in 2024. Off the court, the Spaniard is said to be high-profile enough to charge up to $1million for an appearance fee.

Marriage to Mery Perello

Born María Francisca Perello Pascual, she and Nadal met as teenagers. The couple began dating in 2005 and got engaged in 2019, marrying later that year in Majorca.

The Spanish media initially referred to Perello as Xisca, but her common nickname is Mery. The 36-year-old is a business graduate who worked as a sports marketer in London before Nadal’s career took off. She is currently director of the Rafael Nadal Foundation.

The couple welcomed their son Rafael in October 2022. Despite being married to a tennis legend, Perello is rarely seen courtside as she prefers to stay away from the limelight, though she was pictured with Rafael Jr at this year’s French Open.

Speaking in 2011, Perello shared why keeping her distance was better for their relationship. “He needs his space when he is competing, and just the idea of me hanging around and waiting on his needs all day tires me out,” she explained. “It would asphyxiate me. And then he would have to be worrying about me… No. If I followed him everywhere, I think there’s a risk we might stop getting along.”

Properties and luxury yacht

Until the age of 21, Nadal and his extended family lived in a five-storey apartment building. The tennis icon has remained in his hometown of Manacor in Mallorca, buying a £33million ($40m) house in 2012. In the same year, he also bought a holiday villa in Playa Nueva Romana, Dominican Republic.

While he may not have a raft of properties, Nadal did gift himself a luxury yacht for his 34th birthday in 2020. The ‘Great White’ cost £5million ($6.2m) and Nadal helped design the interior of the 80 sunreef power catamaran, decorating it with a mix of creams, beiges and browns.

The yacht includes four guest cabins that can sleep up to eight passengers, as well as his own suite that boasts a walk-in dressing room. There is a fold-down balcony, indoor and alfresco dining areas, several large TV screens in different locations, and a garage to store jet skis.

Nadal had previously owned smaller yachts, but the ‘Great White’ is the largest he could dock in Porto Cristo. “I wanted to feel like in my own house,” yachting enthusiast Nadal explained. “Of course I had some special requests. I didn’t want a jacuzzi on the flybridge, because I prefer open spaces. I don’t need features like jacuzzis on board – I have water around the boat to swim in and enjoy.”

Plans after retirement

The news of his impending retirement may still be fresh, but Nadal will have already thought about what his life will look like after hanging up his racket. The 38-year-old will want to spend time with his son, having delayed having kids so he could fully concentrate on his career. He will still be involved in tennis through his multiple academies. However, when quizzed last year, Nadal struggled to give a concrete answer about becoming a coach.

“They ask me things about the future that I cannot answer, nor say one thing or another,” Nadal said. “Because the future is often uncertain and I also don’t lose sight of the fact that I have an academy where players come and I like sports in general.

“I like tennis, so I can’t say that I’m not going to drink that water, that I’m not going to be a coach. I don’t see myself doing a complete calendar on the Tour, it’s practically impossible. Now, in a few weeks, being able to help someone or being able to spend some time with a player, well, why not tomorrow? Not today, but tomorrow who knows?”