Rafael Nadal announced he will retire after the Davis Cup finals in November, ending a career which brought 22 grand slam titles.

Rafael Nadal said in a video on social media that he is retiring from professional tennis. The reality is that it has been some difficult years, these last two especially.

He added that it is obviously a difficult decision, one that has taken him some time to make. But in this life everything has a beginning and an end.

The 38-year-old Spaniard is set to end his two decades as a professional with 92 titles and prize money alone of 135 million dollars, indisputably one of the greatest tennis players in history.

Nadal dominated the French Open where he won 14 of his majors. On the famous crushed brick of Roland Garros, he lost just five times in 118 matches.

He was also a four-time champion at the us open and a two-time winner at the Australian Open and won Wimbledon twice, in 2008 and 2010.

Nadal claimed a career golden slam when he took Olympic gold in 2008.