2024’s farewell gallery: Nadal, Murray, Iniesta among legends turning the page

By Carlos Pérez Gil

Madrid, Dec 26 (EFE).- The year turned a poignant page in sports history as tennis legends Rafael Nadal, Garbiñe Muguruza, and Andy Murray and football stars Andrés Iniesta and Toni Kroos closed their illustrious careers in 2024.

Those who joined the icons and left fans with memories of unparalleled brilliance and moments of unyielding passion include basketball heroes Rudy Fernández, Sergio Rodríguez, and Marc Gasol and road racing cyclist Mark Cavendish.

The curtain fell on Nadal’s illustrious career with Spain’s premature elimination from the Davis Cup in Málaga, a fitting yet somber climax for a player who claimed 22 Grand Slam titles.

Announcing his decision via social media on Oct. 31, the 38-year-old Mallorcan summed up his journey: “In this life, everything has a beginning and an end.” His farewell marked the end of two decades of unparalleled excellence.

Iniesta, an icon immortalized by his World Cup-winning goal for Spain in 2010, also hung up his boots this year.

At 40, having achieved glory with Barcelona, nine La Liga titles and four Champions League trophies, and Spain’s national team, including two European Championships, Iniesta ended his career in the UAE after a stint in Japan.

German midfielder Toni Kroos bowed out at 34 after winning his fifth Champions League with Real Madrid, opting to leave on a high. “I don’t want people questioning why I’m still playing. I want to finish at my best,” he said.

Sevilla’s right winger Jesús Navas also concluded his storied career after 705 matches, saying goodbye to adoring fans at the Santiago Bernabéu and Sánchez Pizjuán stadiums.

In tennis, Muguruza retired at 30, citing a desire to “open a new chapter” after winning Wimbledon and Roland Garros.

Murray followed, closing his injury-plagued but brilliant career with an emotional farewell at the Paris Games.

The two-time Wimbledon champion and double Olympic gold medalist will now coach rivals who once stood alongside him in the Federer-Nadal-Djokovic era.

Basketball saw the retirement of Fernández, Rodríguez, and Gasol, the last active players from Spain’s 2006 World Cup-winning team, alongside Víctor Claver.

In athletics, Álvaro Martín retired after securing bronze in Paris and gold medals in World and European Championships.

Cycling bade farewell to Australian sprinting legend Mark Cavendish, who retired at 39 with a record 35 Tour de France stage wins.

Other cycling retirees include Rigoberto Urán, Thomas de Gendt, and Giro d’Italia veteran Domenico Pozzovivo.

Notable retirements from other sports include Emma McKeon, Australia’s most decorated Olympian, and Cuban wrestler Mijaín López, who ended his career with a fifth consecutive Olympic gold in Paris. EFE

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