Everything you do on earth will have its echo in eternity. Rafael Nadal has secured himself an infinite protagonist status, leaving an indelible mark on the minds and hearts of millions of fans, while also inscribing his name with golden letters in the book of the most astonishing and unimaginable records. Let's analyze which ones will be the hardest to beat.
The legacy that Rafael Nadal leaves in the history of sports goes far beyond statistics, titles, and cold data. However, in a few decades, when people who have not had the privilege of witnessing the Spaniard's career consult his numbers, they will come across achievements that are hardly conceivable from a logical perspective and could endure for a long time as records, due to how daunting it seems for someone to surpass them.
- Consecutive weeks in the top-10
Not even the persistent injuries that have slowed his trajectory prevented Rafa from leaving the elite club of the world's top 10 for almost 18 years. A total of 912 consecutive weeks is how long the Spaniard stayed in the top-10 of the ATP ranking, from April 25, 2005, until March 2023.
- Most titles won in a Grand Slam tournament
His name will forever be associated with Roland Garros, and it seems practically impossible that, at least in the medium term, someone could aspire to win more than 14 titles in the same event of this category. His dominance on clay and on the Parisian courts constitutes one of the great feats in the history of sports.
- Consecutive seasons winning at least one Grand Slam
Another testament to his consistency and permanence at the top is that he racked up a whopping decade of winning at least one Grand Slam title. Between 2005 and 2014, the Spaniard always lifted a major, at the very least. He had two dry years in 2015 and 2016, and the third of his career without a title of this caliber since his first win was in 2021.
- Over 10 titles in four different tournaments
Such overwhelming dominance as that displayed by Nadal on clay allows him to stand out as the absolute king in various top-level events. This materializes in the fact that he is the only tennis player to have won 10 titles or more in four top-level events, such as Roland Garros (14), Barcelona (12), Monte Carlo (11), and Rome (10).
- Consecutive matches won on a surface
For a long time, Igor Andreev's name gained international fame for being the last man to have defeated Nadal in a match on clay. The Russian did it at the Valencia tournament in 2005, and from that moment until he fell in the final of the Hamburg tournament in 2007, Rafa did not lose a match on clay. It was a total of 81 matches won consecutively on this surface.
- Titles on clay courts
Will anyone dare to question Nadal's eternal reign on clay? To do so, they face many challenges, and one of the most noteworthy would be to accumulate more titles than the Spaniard in tournaments held on clay courts. Rafa holds a total of 63 titles, a figure that is almost utopian to imagine.
- Only player to win all major titles on clay in a season
Many consider that Rafa's best version was seen in 2010, at least the most unassailable on his favorite surface. It's not surprising. The Spaniard won the tournaments in Monte Carlo, Madrid, Rome, and Roland Garros, and he did so with a superiority so overwhelming that he only dropped two sets; one against Gulbis in the Italian tournament semifinals, and the other in Madrid, in the semifinals against Almagro.
- Youngest player to achieve the Golden Grand Slam
The merit of Rafa breaking all possible barriers in terms of triumphal precocity is reflected in this fact. At just 24 years old, the Spaniard already had all four majors in his trophy cabinet. However, this is the record most threatened in the short term, as Carlos Alcaraz will have two opportunities at the Australian Open to break it. If the Murcian wins the 2025 or 2026 edition, he will snatch this honor from his compatriot.
- Only player with 10 or more titles in a season before turning 20
It is increasingly difficult to find young tennis players breaking into the elite before that age and having the ability to win as regularly as Rafa did in 2005. Champion that year in Costa do Sauipe, Acapulco, Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Rome, Roland Garros, Bastad, Stuttgart, Canada, Beijing, and Madrid. Speechless.
- Most Davis Cup titles in the Open Era
While it is true that he shares the honor with John McEnroe, the reality is that Rafa's 5 Davis Cup titles place him at the forefront of the classification. The Spaniard participated in the Spain's victories in the 2004, 2008, 2009, 2011, and 2019 Davis Cup ties. He will have the chance in 2024 to lead this statistic on his own.
This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Estos son los 10 récords históricos de Nadal más difíciles de batir