Rafael Nadal tribute: The King of Clay with the spirit of a gladiator as tennis retirement announced

Yet then came Nadal, with his bulging biceps and immaculate long hair. After winning the French Open in 2005 to claim his first Grand Slam title, a star was born.

The tennis world is currently in mourning after the veteran confirmed on Thursday that his time in the sport was up. Once next month's Davis Cup finals are out of the way, he will embark on a well-deserved rest.

Nadal, simply put, is a legend of the sport.

With 22 Grand Slams to his name, he will walk away with two more than Federer. Novak Djokovic is the only man with more, with the Serb claiming 24 throughout his own career so far.

Nadal has had to play in arguably the toughest era of them all. In addition to Federer and Djokovic, he once had to contend with a prime Andy Murray.

Then there's Stan Wawrinka and Juan Martin del Potro, who would likely have won more majors themselves if it wasn't for constant injury issues. Don't forget about Carlos Alcaraz, who has been a threat over the past three years - with four majors claimed in that time.

JUST IN: Wimbledon champion gets married to fan who asked her for a selfie

Yet no matter what has been thrown at him, Nadal has displayed gladiatorial qualities to write his name into the tennis history books.

When he started to dominate the French Open, there was the big question over whether he could shine on grass and hard-court surfaces as well.

With Nadal losing his first two Wimbledon titles to Federer in 2006 and 2007, there was a sense that he'd maybe only be a one-surface player.

Yet all that changed in 2008 when he upset the odds to beat Federer in arguably the best Wimbledon final of all time.

READ MORE: Rafael Nadal's earnings from tennis revealed after icon confirms retirement in emotional video

Having thrown away a two-set lead, Nadal could have been forgiven for letting the pressure get to him.

However, the very best champions still find a way to win. That's exactly what the 38-year-old did, with Nadal finally managing to see off Federer as darkness started to engulf Centre Court.

Six months later, Nadal then left his rival reeling as he won the Australian Open. Federer, starting to fear his powers weren't capable of producing the same moments of greatness as before, was reduced to tears as his hopes of glory went up in smoke.

With three different Grand Slams to his name, the career Slam was always destined to follow.

LATEST SPORTS NEWS:

• Emma Raducanu shares selfie from a car as tennis star breaks silence after having Porsche taken away
• Wayne Rooney blasts England star and accuses him of ruining his international career ahead of Greece clash
• Jake Paul makes risky £3.8m offer to Mike Tyson as controversial boxing clash looms

And Nadal achieved that feat in 2010, beating Djokovic to claim victory in a pulsating US Open final.

It is an open secret that his knees, for the bulk of his career, have caused him severe discomfort.

In 2009, in particular, there was even talk of Nadal retiring. He was forced to withdraw from the French Open and was then unable to mount a defence of his Wimbledon title in a huge, devastating blow.

Yet fast-forward to now and Nadal has cemented himself as a tennis icon, a player for all surfaces and a champion who deserves every bit of recongition coming his way.

His dominance of the French Open was remarkable. His record of 14 Grand Slams at Roland Garros will likely never be beaten.

But his ability to rise above adversity, to conduct himself with grace, to play with swagger, to enchant Grand Slam tournaments at Wimbledon, the US Open and Australian Open, to win two Olympic golds and to keep bouncing back no matter what is what makes him such a legendary figure.

The tennis world will miss him.