A small compilation of the most impressive records Rafael Nadals historical career.
by Johanna Brauer
last edited: November 23, 2024, 2:37 p.m
© Getty Images
He won his first ATP Tour match at the age of 15, marking the first step in an astonishing career that has spanned over 20 years and has seen the Spaniard set countless records that will be difficult for future generations to break.
14 Titel in Paris
The most obvious milestone is the 14 Roland Garros titles. When the King of Clay stepped onto his Paris court for the last time this year and the stadium announcer started listing the years in which Nadal won the French Open, you could only get goosebumps. With the set mark of 14 Grand Slam titles won, Nadal has four more titles than his nearest challenger at a major: Novak Djokovic, who won the Australian Open 10 times.
Most clay court titles
As befits the king of the clay court, the title of “player with the most trophies on clay” also bears Nadal’s name. When Nadal’s career began, the record for titles on clay was 49 and belonged to clay court specialist Guillermo Vilas. Nadal, who comes from Manacor, not only broke this record, but also significantly exceeded it with 63 titles. He won his first title in Sopot in 2004 and his last, how could it be otherwise, at Roland Garros in 2022.
10 titles or more in four different tournaments
Nadal didn’t just build an empire at Roland Garros. He has also shown his dominance on other stages, where it has become commonplace for him to lift the trophy year after year. He won 12 times at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell, prompting the tournament to name its center court after him. At the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, he won 11 titles, while in Rome he triumphed 10 times. These four tournaments account for 47 – or 51% – of his total 92 titles.
10 consecutive Grand Slam years
Nadal is the only player to win at least one major tournament in 10 consecutive years. Between 2005 and 2014, he won the Australian Open in 2009, Roland Garros in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014, Wimbledon in 2008 and 2010 and the US Open in 2010 and 2013.
Most wins against the world number one
An era that was unique in its form. In the age of the Big 3, Nadal, Federer and Djokovic challenged each other again and again in their best versions. With 23 wins, the Spaniard holds the record for the most wins against the best player in the world. In 2004 at the Masters in Miami, Nadal defeated Roger Federer for the first time when he was at the top of the world. 12 more victories against Federer as number one followed, and he defeated Djokovic 10 times as the top leader.
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In one year: a Grand Slam title on every surface
Nadal achieved this feat in 2010. In the same year, the Spaniard, who was 24 at the time, won a Grand Slam title on clay (Roland Garros), grass (Wimbledon) and hard court (US Open). He was the first to achieve this since Rod Laver in 1969. 11 years later, Novak Djokovic also achieved this record. He won at the Australian Open, Roland Garros and Wimbledon.
Most consecutive wins on a surface
This record spans two years. It begins on April 11, 2005 against Gael Monfils at the Masters in Monte-Carlo and ended at the Hamburg Open 2007 against Roger Federer. During this period, Nadal did not lose a single match and won 81 games on clay, making him by far the record for most consecutive wins on a surface.
The youngest player to win the Golden Slam
In tennis history there have only been a few select players who have won all the Grand Slams as well as the gold Olympic medal. Three, to be precise: Andre Agassi, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. At the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008, the Spaniard stood at the top of the podium. In 2010, at the age of 24, he won the US Open. This made the four-time Roland Garros champion alongside Agassi the only player in men’s sports to achieve the “Golden Slam” of his career. Novak Djokovic joined this exclusive club this year when he won the singles gold medal at the Paris Olympics.
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Roger Federer
Rafael Nadal
Novak Djokovic
