The 38-year-old tennis star will represent Spain in his final appearance on court at the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga next month.

Nadal's playing time has been severely limited over the past two years due to injury and he says that it has been a major contributing factor to the decision to hang up his racket.

In a video message posted on X, Nadal 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."

Nadal ends his career as the second most successful men's singles player in history - only trailing great rival Novak Djokovic - after winning 22 major titles and topping the ranking for 209 weeks.

The Spaniard won the French Open a record 14 times and earned the nickname the 'King of Clay' as a result. He also won four US Open titles and triumphed at the Australian Open and Wimbledon on two occasions.

Nadal had suggested that he could retire at the end of the 2024 season and is thrilled to have the chance to represent his country in his final event.

He said: "I’m very excited that my last tournament will be the final of the Davis Cup and representing my country."