With three major titles, Nordqvist is Sweden's second most successful golfer of all time after Annika Sörenstam, who won ten major titles.
But on Wednesday, the Swede announced that this week's LPGA tournament in Boston will be her last as a professional.
"I'm 39 years old and I have dreams of one day starting a family of my own, so I feel like there's a time and place for everything. But I'm very happy with what I've done and what I've accomplished, and it's time to focus on my family and my health," she says at a press conference.
Dark years behind them
Her playing career is coming to an end soon, but in a few weeks she will be captain of Europe's Solheim Cup team in the prestigious team competition against the USA in the Netherlands.
I dreamed of playing in a Solheim Cup and I've played nine, and now I'm captain, which is a 'once in a lifetime' experience and probably the proudest moment of my career, she says.
Nordqvist has had a couple of dark years on a personal level. She was on the verge of divorcing her husband Kevin McAlpine when he died in the fall of 2023.
And in February last year, she told TT that for several years she had had high levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which in turn has made it very difficult to handle adrenaline.
It has knocked out my entire system on the golf course, I have felt quite unconscious or completely gone, she said.
A few months before the interview - in November 2024 - she had also undergone surgery to remove a benign cyst and tumor in her stomach.
The last few years have been really tough for me, says Nordqvist ahead of the competition in Boston.
This year, I finally started to feel like myself again behind the ropes, and I wanted to end my career while I was still enjoying the game and feeling like I was in a good place, both on and off the course.
“Fall so many times”
Nordqvist gets emotional when she thinks back, above all, to how she got the chance over 20 years ago as a college player at Arizona State University.
"They saw something in me, gave me a full scholarship and I got the opportunity because I had a dream. Many people doubted me and said I would never succeed," she says with tears in her eyes.
Her will to never give up she hopes can inspire others.
I've fallen so many times, but I kept getting back up and kept fighting through the tough times. I've shown a lot of women that we can do this.
Born: June 10, 1987.
Started playing golf: At Torshälla GK outside Eskilstuna.
Lives: In Arizona, USA.
Key achievements: Has won three major titles – the LPGA Championship in 2009, the Evian Championship in 2017 and the British Open in 2021. This makes her Sweden's second most successful golfer of all time, after Annika Sörenstam. Has won six more times on the LPGA Tour.
Current status: Ending her career in connection with this week's LPGA Tour competition in Boston. Is captain of the European team in the Solheim Cup, which will be held in the Netherlands in two weeks.
