Nadal: "A positive and unforgettable experience".

Rafael Nadal will bid farewell to professional tennis for good in a few weeks' time, when the Davis Cup finals take place (November 19-24).

In a lengthy interview with AS, Nadal explained why he had not taken this decision earlier.

He explained that it was passion that kept him going: "People asked me why I didn't retire sooner?

And from an outsider's point of view, it's easy to form an opinion. From the sofa and typing on a cell phone or computer.

But when you're happy doing what you're doing, and your family is happy too, you want to keep trying. And my family was happy to travel with me to tournaments.

To have been able to live this year and a bit more by traveling with the family in a different way and experiencing the circuit in a different way has given me a positive and I think unforgettable experience."