Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal’s untouchable information
Essentially the most spectacular figures from the Spaniard’s historic profession
November 20, 2024
Aurelien Meunier/Getty Photographs
Rafael Nadal gained Roland Garros a report 14 occasions.
By ATPTour.com/es Workers
To have fun the top of Rafael Nadal‘s historic profession at this week’s Davis Cup Last 8, ATPTour.com is publishing a collection of articles paying tribute to the Spaniard. View our #RafaSiempre collection.
Nadal’s first ATP Tour win in opposition to Ramon Delgado on the clay of his native Mallorca on the age of 15 was step one in a legendary profession that stretched throughout greater than twenty years. The Spaniard has left in his wake an inordinate variety of information that future generations will discover vastly tough to interrupt.
ATPTour.com takes a take a look at probably the most vital stats of the Manacor native’s 22-season profession.
14 titles at one Grand Slam
Nadal’s Roland Garros report might be probably the most spectacular of his profession. After profitable his first ‘Musketeer’s Trophy’ on his first look on the season’s second main in 2005, he went on to say a complete of 14 titles (2005-08, 2010-14, 2017-2020, 2022) on the Paris clay. The mark places him 4 forward of his nearest challenger when it comes to titles at one Grand Slam: Novak Djokovic with 10 Australian Opens.
Pricey Rafa,
It has been a privilege to look at you evolve on our clay, the place you’ll depart a perpetual mark on such a difficult floor.
We’re proud to depend you as our biggest champion, as a lot on your 14 titles as for the person you might be. Your legacy will reside on ceaselessly, on… pic.twitter.com/xJ9P96gRaM
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) November 19, 2024
10 titles or extra at 4 completely different tournaments
It was not solely at Roland Garros the place Nadal constructed an empire. He additionally stamped his dominance on different phases, the place it grew to become routine to see him declare the trophy 12 months after 12 months. On the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell he gained 12 occasions, main the event to call its centre court docket after him. On the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, an ATP Masters 1000 occasion, he gained 11 titles, whereas the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome supplied him with 10 crowns. The 4 tournaments make up for 47 of his whole of 92 titles (51%).
Youngest participant to win the ‘Golden Slam’
Only some chosen ones within the historical past of tennis can boast to having gained all 4 majors (Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, US Open), in addition to an Olympic gold medal. Nadal topped the Olympic podium in Beijing in 2008, and later joined Andre Agassi as the one gamers within the males’s recreation – to finish the profession ‘Golden Slam’ by profitable the 2010 US Open, on the age of 24 years, 3 months, and 10 days. Novak Djokovic joined the unique membership in 2024 when he gained the Olympics singles gold medal in Paris.
Rafael Nadal beats Fernando Gonzalez to win the lads’s singles gold medal on the 2008 Beijing Olympics.” type=”width:100%;” src=”https://www.atptour.com/-/media/pictures/information/2020/08/04/20/51/nadal-flag-beijing-2008.jpg?w=100percent25″>
Picture Credit score: Clive Brunskill/Getty Photographs
Most titles on clay
When Nadal’s profession started, the report for titles on clay was 49. It belonged to a specialist on the floor in Argentina’s Guillermo Vilas. The Manacor native not solely broke that report, he did so by a substantial margin, reaching 63. There have been 18 years earlier than his first clay crown, in Sopot in 2004, and his final, at Roland Garros in 2022.
10 straight years profitable Grand Slams
The previous No. 1 within the PIF ATP Rankings Nadal not solely has 22 Grand Slam titles to his identify, he additionally racked them up season after season, permitting him to remain close to the very prime for thus lengthy. Nadal is the one participant who managed to win at the very least one main for 10 consecutive years. Between 2005 and 2014 he gained the 2009 Australian Open; the 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 Roland Garros crown; Wimbledon in 2008 and 2010; and the US Open in 2010 and 2013.
Grand Slam titles on each floor in a single 12 months
His skill to compete on the prime degree on each floor grew to become clear in 2010, when he gained a Grand Slam on clay (Roland Garros), grass (Wimbledon) and arduous courts (US Open) in the identical 12 months. He was the primary to take action since Rod Laver in 1969. Years later, in 2021, Novak Djokovic additionally achieved the feat on the Australian Open, Roland Garros and Wimbledon.
Most wins in opposition to a No. 1
Nadal was in a position to compete toe-to-toe with the perfect variations of Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, respectively, recurrently squaring off in opposition to them once they have been occupying the No. 1 spot within the PIF ATP Rankings. The truth is, the Spaniard holds the report for probably the most wins in opposition to the perfect participant on the planet (23), beating Federer 13 occasions when he was on the prime of the rankings and Djokovic 10 occasions. His first got here in opposition to Federer on the Miami ATP Masters 1000 in 2004.
Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal ” type=”width:100%;” src=”https://www.atptour.com/-/media/pictures/information/2024/07/28/20/00/djokovic-nadal-rivalry-roland-garros-2022.jpg”>
Picture Credit score: AFP/Getty Photographs
Finishing the Grand Slam twice
Profitable all 4 majors is a privilege that solely eight males have skilled within the historical past of the sport. Nadal, although, has had the pleasure twice over (he has gained each Grand Slam at the very least two occasions). Rod Laver was the primary to realize the feat, whereas Djokovic would later repeat it.
Most straight wins on one floor
One of many hottest streaks Nadal ever produced started within the first spherical on the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters on 11 April, 2005 in opposition to Gael Monfils. It ended within the ultimate of the ATP Masters 1000 in Hamburg on 14 Might 2007 in opposition to Roger Federer. In that interval, the Spaniard gained each single match he performed on clay, giving him the report for probably the most consecutive wins on one floor (81).
‘Clay Slam’
In 2010, Nadal grew to become the one participant to win the entire clay tournaments at Grand Slam and Masters 1000 degree in a single season. He strung collectively titles on the Masters 1000 occasions in Monte-Carlo (his sixth title within the Principality), Rome (the fifth) and Madrid (the second). He additionally put the icing on the cake on the clay Grand Slam occasion in Paris, along with his fifth Roland Garros crown.
Virtually invincible on clay over 5 units
In whole, all through his profession, the Balearic Islander performed 535 matches on clay, with a report 484 wins and 51 defeats. That equates to a 90.5 per cent win report on the floor. Nevertheless, when he competed in best-of-five-set matches, his success charge was near perfection. He confronted 141 such encounters, with a report of 137-4, which is a return charge of 97.1%.
Most titles as a teen
Nadal began the 2005 season at 18 years of age and ended it at 19. As a teen, he produced probably the most prolific season of his profession and no one, to this point, has matched him at such a younger age. That 12 months he gained eleven titles in Costa do Sauipe, Acapulco, Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Rome, Roland Garros, Bastad, Stuttgart, Canada, Beijing and Madrid, all added to the title he gained in Sopot in 2004. Curiously, the season included his solely ever title on indoor arduous courts (Madrid).
Rafael Nadal” type=”100%;” src=”https://www.atptour.com/-/media/pictures/information/2024/07/11/13/35/nadal-roland-garros-2005-celebration.jpg”>
Picture Credit score: Julian Finney/Getty Photographs
Editor’s notice: This story was translated from ATPTour.com/es