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A passage from the Rudyard Kipling poem “If” is written on the wall of the players’ entrance to Wimbledon’s Centre Court. “If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster and treat those two imposters both the same,” it reads. Competitors can glance at Kipling’s writing before they take to the London grass.
To American tennis legend Chris Evert, these words encapsulate the spirit of Rafael Nadal, the Spanish star who has spent the last two decades thrilling his legions of admirers around the world, but announced his impending retirement from tennis on Thursday.
That’s him, to a T,” Evert tells TIME. Nadal did have a knack for swatting down on-court obstacles with muscle and grit: his snarl belied an inner calm that, more often than not, triumphed. “Have you ever seen him break a racquet?” says Evert. “Have you ever seen him scream and shout at his coaching box? If he lost, he would give compliments. He wouldn’t make excuses.” Of the three all-time men’s players who’ve dominated this era of the game—Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic—Nadal seemed to be the most bashful of the three. He relished winning, but not the adoration. He exuded the most humility.
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“In the sports world, there seems to be controversy and there seems to be anger, and it’s not always so nice,” says Evert. “He was like a bright light. He always brought order to the chaos. There will be a gaping hole.”
Nadal, 38, had been hinting at retirement all year. Injuries were taking their toll; he played in only one major, the French Open, in 2024, and lost in the first round of the tournament he’s won an incredible 14 times. He could have stuck around another year and received a send-off at each of the Slam tournaments one last time. But Nadal needed no pro forma retirement tour. Waving to the crowds and losing in the second round didn’t hold much appeal.
Instead, he’ll go out on his own terms: after the Davis Cup Final 8, held in Malaga, Spain, starting Nov. 19. Nadal will try to help his nation win the Davis Cup title for the fifth time in his illustrious career.
