The 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal of Spain announced Thursday that he will retire from professional tennis after the Davis Cup finals in November.

Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates with his trophy during the awarding ceremony after winning the men's singles final match between Rafael Nadal of Spain and Daniil Medvedev of Russia at Australian Open in Melbourne Park, in Melbourne, Australia, on Jan. 30, 2022. (Xinhua/Bai Xuefei)

"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," the 38-year-old said in a video on social media.

Nadal dominated the French Open with a record 14 titles. He also claimed four US Open title and won Australian Open twice. Nadal was also a two-time winner at Wimbledon.

Nadal has been a leading figure in men's tennis for over a decade, along with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic as the "Big Three". The Spaniard has been ranked world No. 1 in singles by the ATP for 209 weeks, and has finished as the year-end No. 1 five times.