Rafael Nadal ATP

Nadal selects his three most memorable matches

Carlos Navarro - 11 Nov 2026
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Nadal selects the most memorable matches of his career.

Rafael Nadal left behind more than two decades of unforgettable tennis, irreplaceable trophies, and titanic battles that captured the hearts of everyone in the tennis world. The player from Manacor has been a central figure in some of the matches that have marked the history of this sport, duels that remain etched in the memories of fans and, in many cases, served as inspiration for children around the world to choose this sport. There are so many great ones that it would be impossible to select just three of them... or is it?

The player from Mallorca was challenged by L'Equipe from Paris, and he had no problem daring to create his podium of memorable matches. One hint: they are only duels that took place in the finals of a tournament, giving them an even greater dimension, as some were clear turning points in his career... or confirmations of his versatility, adaptability, and dominance. None, by the way, are on clay, the surface of which he is the undisputed king.

Nadal and the three most memorable matches of his career

Let's not waste any more time and hear from Rafa himself about which three matches he chooses. "I choose Wimbledon 2008, Australia 2022, and maybe... US Open 2013". In all of them, he refers to the finals: the triumph over Roger in London, which many consider the most thrilling match in the history of this sport; the incredible comeback against Medvedev that gave him his second and longed-for Australian Open, and the confirmation of his dominance on hard courts against Novak Djokovic during that unforgettable US tour.

Interestingly, the journalist from L'Equipe posed a personal opinion with which the player from Manacor disagrees: he mentioned that the 2009 Australian Open semifinal against Fernando Verdasco was the most memorable match he remembers of Rafa. The player from Mallorca does not rank it that high in his personal list: "I understand it was a very exciting match, but for me, it wasn't a match where I played incredibly. It was a difficult match, Fernando was playing at an incredibly high level, probably the highest level I've seen from him in his entire career, in that tournament. However, it was a semifinal, not a final... and also, I don’t know, I don't have that memory of playing... although I was exhausted, I think I played at a higher level in the final than in the semifinal".

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Nadal selecciona sus tres partidos más memorables