Farewell to legends: Six Grand Slam champions retire in 2024

The 2024 season concluded with the ATP and WTA Tours bidding farewell to some big names, including six Grand Slam champions. Led by Rafael Nadal, these players collectively claimed 32 major titles. Four of them reached World No. 1, and their departures marked emotional goodbyes.

Andy Murray, Garbiñe Muguruza, Angelique Kerber, Dominic Thiem, and Juan Martín del Potro officially ended their careers this season.

1. Rafael Nadal

The 22-time Grand Slam champion became one of the greatest legends in tennis history and undeniably the best clay-court player ever seen. Nadal fought valiantly over the past two years to return to the Tour at a competitive level, but injuries hindered his consistency in his final tournaments.

In 2023, Nadal prepared for a comeback during the 2024 clay swing. However, injuries limited him to a few tournaments. His major challenges ended with early exits: he fell in the first round of Roland Garros to Alexander Zverev, in the second round of the Olympic Games to Novak Djokovic, and in his last tournament at the Davis Cup Finals, where he lost to Botic van de Zandschulp in Spain's quarterfinal elimination.

Despite these setbacks, his later struggles do not overshadow an extraordinary career with 92 titles, including 22 majors and 36 Masters 1000 titles. He spent over 200 weeks as World No. 1 (over 600 weeks in the top 3 and more than 900 weeks in the top 10). Nadal also claimed Olympic gold medals in singles and doubles, earning his place as a fierce rival to both Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, as they have previously acknowledged.

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2. Andy Murray

The last member of the ‘Big Four’ is celebrated as the only player who consistently challenged the Federer-Nadal-Djokovic dominance. Murray claimed three Grand Slam titles (while losing eight finals) and 14 Masters 1000 titles during the Big Three era. He reached World No. 1 for 41 weeks between 2016 and 2017, the only player to disrupt the Big Three's hold on the top spot between 2004 and 2022.

Murray also won back-to-back Olympic gold medals in London 2012 (against Federer) and Rio de Janeiro 2016 (against del Potro), alongside a mixed doubles silver medal, an ATP Finals title in 2016, and a total of 46 ATP titles. He concludes his career with an impressive 200-55 record in majors (78%).

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3. Angelique Kerber

Angie Kerber reached World No. 1 in 2016 and 2017 for a total of 34 weeks, becoming only the second German to top the WTA rankings after Steffi Graf. Kerber enjoyed a long career as an elite player, excelling in major tournaments.

She won three Grand Slam titles: the 2016 Australian Open, 2016 US Open, and 2018 Wimbledon. At both the Australian Open and Wimbledon, she defeated the legendary Serena Williams in the finals. Kerber also earned an Olympic silver medal at Rio 2016 and secured 14 WTA titles during her career.

After briefly returning post-maternity, the 36-year-old decided to end her career on a high note at the Olympic Games. Kerber made a valiant run to the quarterfinals, holding match points against eventual gold medallist Zheng Qinwen in a three-hour battle, delivering a dignified farewell.

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4. Garbiñe Muguruza

The Spaniard struggled with injuries throughout her career and retired in 2024 at just 31 years old. Muguruza captured her first major title at the 2016 French Open, defeating World No. 1 Serena Williams in the final, avenging her loss in the Wimbledon final a year earlier.

In 2017, she returned to the Wimbledon final, this time overcoming Venus Williams in straight sets to claim her second major title. Shortly after, she achieved the World No. 1 ranking for a brief period. Although her subsequent seasons were inconsistent, Muguruza experienced a resurgence, reaching the Australian Open final in 2020 and winning the WTA Finals in Guadalajara in 2021.

After taking a break in early 2023 due to disappointing results, Muguruza ultimately decided to end her career.

5. Dominic Thiem

Thiem will be remembered for his remarkable 2020 US Open victory, where he overcame Alexander Zverev from two sets down and saved match points. For years, the Austrian rivalled the Big Three, who often thwarted his Grand Slam aspirations. Thiem lost back-to-back Roland Garros finals to Rafael Nadal (2018 and 2019) and the 2020 Australian Open final to Novak Djokovic.

Despite this, Thiem secured 17 ATP titles, including the 2019 Indian Wells Masters, and reached a career-high ranking of World No. 3.

A wrist injury significantly hampered the later years of his career. Despite surgery and a return to the top 100, Thiem was unable to recapture his previous form. He bid farewell to his fans at the Vienna Open, losing in the first round to Luciano Darderi.

6. Juan Martín del Potro

Although he had been away from competition for some years, Del Potro retained hopes of returning to the Tour for one final tournament. The former World No. 3 struggled with wrist and knee injuries throughout his career, undergoing multiple surgeries that left him with chronic pain even in daily life.

Del Potro returned at the 2022 Buenos Aires Open for what was thought to be his last professional match. In 2024, he resumed training to prepare for a farewell match at home, inviting Novak Djokovic for an emotional send-off.

The Argentine famously ended Roger Federer’s five-year US Open winning streak in the 2009 final, defeating the Swiss legend at just 20 years old. Despite showing promise of a brilliant career, injuries plagued his journey. Del Potro won 22 titles, contested 13 more finals, claimed Davis Cup glory with Argentina, and earned Olympic silver and bronze medals.

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