Spain is set to face the Netherlands in the Davis Cup quarterfinals this week, and that means Rafael Nadal is ready to bid farewell to competitive tennis. The 38-year-old superstar announced in an emotional video on social media last month that he would retire following the tournament, 19 years after he won his first Grand Slam title—and 25 after he signed his first major endorsement deal, with Nike.

Over that quarter-century, Nadal has been more successful than just about anyone who has ever picked up a tennis racket. His 22 Grand Slam singles titles set a men’s record—since surpassed by Novak Djokovic—and his $134.9 million in career prize money is second in ATP Tour history, again behind only Djokovic. Nadal also earned in excess of $415 million from endorsements, appearances and other business endeavors, for more than $550 million in total pretax earnings, according to Forbes estimates.

That leaves him well behind the $1.1 billion that his other great rival, Roger Federer, piled up in his own extraordinary career before retiring in 2022, and it puts him roughly level with Djokovic, who continues to thrive on tour at age 37. But no other tennis players—and few athletes from other sports—come close. Even Serena Williams, who won 23 Grand Slam singles titles and helped set a new standard for female athlete pay before leaving the sport in 2022, finished roughly $120 million behind Nadal.

Big Three: Roger Federer, Nadal and Novak Djokovic are the only three tennis players ever to cross $500 million in career pretax earnings.

“I think he’s still printing money,” one tennis agent says of Nadal, who made an estimated $23 million off the court over the past year. “He’s not doing anything unless it’s big money. He’s still Rafa Nadal.”

While he didn’t........

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