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The great rivalries that defined Nadal’s career

  • Posted: Nov 20, 2024

To celebrate the end of Rafael Nadal’s historic career at this week’s Davis Cup Final 8, ATPTour.com is publishing a series of articles paying tribute to the Spaniard. View our #RafaSiempre series.

So much can happen during the lifetime of an elite. After a career spanning over 20 years, Rafael Nadal has decided to bring his time as a professional tennis player to an end. In doing so, he closes the door on the great rivalries that have shaped his life on the ATP Tour.

To mark the retirement of the Spanish superstar, ATPTour.com takes a look back at some of his biggest rivalries.

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Nadal vs. Roger Federer: 24-16 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series
Not only is it one of the biggest rivalries in the history of tennis, Nadal against Federer is one of the biggest rivalries in the history of sport; two foes who pushed each other to achieve the seemingly impossible.

Their diametrically contrasting styles generated a series of encounters that elevated tennis to previously unseen heights. The Spaniard and the Swiss won the hearts of fans in every corner of the planet every time they took court for another clash.

It all started in 2004, when a baby-faced 17-year-old Nadal upset Federer, the then-No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings, with a resounding 6-3, 6-3 victory to reach the fourth round of the ATP Masters 1000 in Miami. The Swiss, who had already won two Grand Slam titles, was caught off-guard by what he faced on the other side of the net: a fearless, energetic, and powerful opponent who barely batted an eyelid as he brushed him aside.

Federer earned his revenge a year later on the same stage by beating Nadal in the 2005 Miami final, in an intense five-set clash (coming back from two sets down in what was the first classic encounter between the two legends). However, the Spaniard struck back by winning five matches on the trot to earn himself a 6-1 lead in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series.

That run included a Roland Garros semi-final and final (across 2005 and 2006), and three finals in Dubai, Monte Carlo and Rome, respectively, all of which went to the Spaniard. The latter, at the Foro Itálico, was one of the most thrilling battles between the pair: after more than five hours on court, Nadal celebrated victory having saved two match points. Federer was powerless as he watched the trophy slip from his grasp.

The Swiss would slow his rival’s momentum with a win in their first Wimbledon final (2006), and once again that year in the semis of the Nitto ATP Finals, eating into Nadal’s lead (3-6) and making a mental recovery from the pain inflicted on him during his five straight defeats to the Spaniard. It would be a close-run thing in 2007 (two wins to Nadal, three for Federer, including his first on clay in the Hamburg final), before the lefty from Mallorca took a clean sweep in a historic 2008 season.

That year, Nadal and Federer crossed paths four times. All four ended with the Spaniard lifting his arms to the sky in celebration. Nadal also won Roland Garros and Wimbledon back-to-back. The latter was an assault on Federer’s favourite stomping ground, which he had, to that point, defended so vehemently from the Mallorcan (2-0, winner of the 2006 and 2007 finals).

That match, the 2008 Wimbledon final, is considered by many as one of the best in the history of tennis. Nadal took the first two sets before Federer levelled a tie that would be decided in a nail-biting 9-7 fifth set, with barely any light left at the All England Tennis Club, just when it looked like they would be unable to finish until the next day.

<img alt=”Roger Federer/Rafael Nadal” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/07/11/13/51/federer-nadal-wimbledon-2008-trophy.jpg” />

Photo Credit: Getty Images

The fact that Nadal kick-started 2009 by beating the Swiss at the Australian Open surely had something to do with what had happened at Wimbledon six months earlier. After Melbourne, where the Spaniard claimed an electrifying final that also went to a fifth set, the Lexus ATP Head2Head tally between the pair stood at 13-6 to the Balearic Islander.

Nadal would string together another five victories between 2013 and 2014 before Federer claimed six of his own (2015 to 2019), coinciding with the period when the Spaniard was returning from a significant right-knee injury.

These would prove to be the last encounters in a rivalry whose final two matches came in 2019, both at Grand Slams: Nadal beat Federer in the semi-finals at Roland Garros, and the Swiss returned the favour in the same round at Wimbledon.

Of the 40 matches between the two players, 20 were on hard courts (11-9 to Federer) 16 on clay (14-2 to Nadal), and four on grass (3-1 to the Swiss). In Grand Slams, the Spaniard led the Swiss 10-4.

Apart from the numbers, which provide context for the rivalry, they have left something more intangible in their wake; the special aura of two players who defined an era as they went head-to-head on the biggest stages on the planet.

Nadal vs. Novak Djokovic: 29-31 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series
No two players have faced each other on more occasions than Nadal and Djokovic (who played 60 tour-level matches in total), a fact that tells all you need to know about the significance of the rivalry between the Spaniard and the Serb. Two of the best players of all time, they kept up their personal tussle for almost two decades.

The pair first squared off in 2006, in the quarter-finals of Roland Garros, where Nadal took the spoils after the retirement of the Serbian in the third set. Although their first final together came just one year later (2007 Indian Wells), with victory going to the Spaniard, it was some time until their first meeting in a Grand Slam decider: in 2010, at the US Open. Nadal emerged victorious in their first clash for a major title.

During those years, Nadal notched a significant lead in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series (15-7), although Djokovic did win three consecutive matches in 2009 (in Cincinnati, Paris, and at the Nitto ATP Finals, respectively). As he gained experience, the Serbian improved at an astonishing rate and his tug-of-war with Nadal appeared to help him push towards his best tennis.

After losing that 2010 US Open final to the Spaniard and also their group-stage clash at the Nitto ATP Finals, Djokovic suddenly upped his game in a way that none could have predicted. The Serbian beat the Manacor native in seven straight finals across 2011 and 2012: Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid, Rome, Wimbledon, US Open, and the Australian Open, defeating him on hard court, clay, and grass.

That memorable match in Melbourne, which lasted five hours and 53 minutes, is the longest final in Grand Slam history. Although Djokovic took the title, in some way, Nadal had managed to change the dynamic in their rivalry, forcing the Serbian to play his absolute best to come through the encounter with the trophy in his hands.

<img alt=”Novak Djokovic & Rafael Nadal, Australian Open 2012″ style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/longform/djokovic21/desktop/djokovic-australian-open-2012.jpg” />

Photo Credit: PAUL CROCK/AFP via Getty Images

Nadal almost immediately reaped the rewards for his performance Down Under. The Spaniard won his next three ties with Djokovic (Monte Carlo, Rome, Roland Garros), ending his nemesis’ confidence-boosting seven-win streak.

In the years that followed, their rivalry would be more matched, with both players claiming their fair share of wins (Nadal beat Djokovic in the 2013 US Open final and the 2014 Roland Garros final, while the Serbian came out on top in Beijing and at the Nitto ATP Finals in 2013, as well as in Miami and Rome in 2014).

Djokovic again exerted a period of dominance over Nadal by winning another seven consecutive matches across 2015 and 2016 in Monte Carlo, Rome, Roland Garros (his first win over Nadal at the clay-court major), Beijing, the Nitto ATP Finals, Doha, Indian Wells and Rome, before Nadal finally brought the run to an end in 2017 in Madrid with a superb semi-final victory.

In 2018, the pair put on a tremendous show in their Wimbledon semi-final clash, which was delayed due to poor light on Friday and continued on Saturday, when Djokovic sealed a 10-8 fifth-set win. Both players produced some jaw-dropping tennis, much to the delight of the fans.

Between 2019 and 2021, the two legends only crossed paths in finals, with Djokovic winning at the Australian Open (2019) and the ATP Cup (2020). Nadal took the bragging rights in Rome (2019), at Roland Garros (2020), and again in Rome (2021).

Fate would have it that the last three encounters of their rivalry came at Roland Garros: Djokovic won in the 2021 semi-finals, Nadal prevailed in the 2022 quarter-finals and the Serbian ended their long history with a second-round victory at the Paris Olympics in 2024.

Nadal vs. Andy Murray: 17-7 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series
To his enormous credit, Murray managed to make room for himself next to the so-called Big Three of tennis (Djokovic, Nadal and Federer). The Briton gave Nadal plenty to think about over their 24 Lexus ATP Head2Head encounters.

Nadal dominated their earliest clashes, winning the first five matches (from the 2007 Australian Open to the 2008 semi-final in Canada). In a clear demonstration of his authority, the Spaniard raced away from the Briton, laying the foundations for their rivalry with victories on hard court, clay, and grass.

Murray finally got his first win in the semi-finals of the 2008 US Open. It was a triumph that helped him win again in the 2009 final in Rotterdam, where Nadal could see that Murray had learned from his previous defeats and was now ready to respond. Nadal would have to work much harder in the future to defeat his rival.

<img alt=”Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/07/17/19/17/nadal-murray-retire-2024.jpg” />

Photo Credit: Hamish Blair/Getty Images

Although they never crossed paths in a Grand Slam final, Nadal and Murray played again at the Australian Open (2010 quarter-finals, win to Murray), Roland Garros (2011 and 2014 semi-finals, wins for Nadal), Wimbledon (2010 and 2011 semi-finals, Nadal), and the US Open (2011 semi-finals, Nadal).

Curiously, Murray managed to see off Nadal twice in the Spaniard’s homeland, in the 2015 final and the 2016 semi-final in Madrid. The latter was the last time they would find each other on opposite sides of the net.

The 24 matches they contested break down as follows: 4-4 on hard courts, with Nadal leading on clay (7-2) and on grass (3-0). Nadal finished with a 7-2 lead against Murray in Grand Slam encounters.

Nadal vs. Others
Besides Federer, Djokovic, and Murray, undoubtedly the most important opponents of Nadal’s dazzling career, there are plenty of other players the Spaniard had frequent clashes with, creating more great rivalries during his two decades on the Tour.

David Ferrer (26-6 to Nadal)
Nadal and Ferrer contested eight finals (all won by Nadal), including the Roland Garros title match in 2014. These were some of the standout moments in an all-Spanish rivalry in which Ferrer took first blood (in Stuttgart 2004), and where the Alicante native also sunk Nadal at the US Open (2007) and at the Nitto ATP Finals (2007).

Stan Wawrinka (19-3 to Nadal)
Nadal flew out of the blocks in his series of encounters with Wawrinka, winning his first 12 clashes against the Swiss. However, Wawrinka would have his revenge, defeating Nadal in the 2012 Australian Open final, although the Spaniard was playing after hurting his back in the warm up. They met again in another major final, with Nadal prevailing at Roland Garros in 2017.

Juan Martin del Potro (11-6 to Nadal)
Four early triumphs for Nadal were followed by three for Del Potro, laying the foundations for a spectacular rivalry between two passionate players who loved to entertain the fans. The Spaniard won the only final they contested (2013 Indian Wells), while the Argentine claimed some huge victories of his own: in the semi-finals of the 2009 US Open, the semi-finals of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, and the semi-finals of the 2018 US Open.

Dominic Thiem (10-6 to Nadal)
Two Roland Garros finals claimed by Nadal marked the pinnacle his rivalry with Thiem, which took on particular significance on clay courts. However, it also provided some spectacular episodes elsewhere, such as in the quarter-finals of the 2018 US Open (where Nadal won in a fifth-set tie-break) and the quarter-finals of the 2020 Australian Open, won by Thiem.

Editor’s note: This story was translated from ATPTour.com/es

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How Nadal used the Challenger Tour as a springboard to stardom

  • Posted: Nov 20, 2024

To celebrate the end of Rafael Nadal’s historic career at this week’s Davis Cup Final 8, ATPTour.com is publishing a series of articles paying tribute to the Spaniard. View our #RafaSiempre series.

Regardless of potential and promise, all tennis players first work through the ATP Challenger Tour to begin their climb to the upper echelons of the sport. Rafael Nadal was no exception.

In 2003, Nadal — then 16 years old — sported a baggy t-shirt with sleeves draped to his elbows as he captured his maiden Challenger title in Barletta, Italy. That afternoon on the Adriatic coast featured the biggest career title run for the Spanish teenager at the time. Now it is remembered as a pivotal moment in his rise to greatness.

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Nadal was already accustomed to milestones. Just two years earlier, the teen showcased his scintillating forehand and unmatched court coverage to become the third-youngest player to notch a Challenger match win.

As the No. 152 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, the lefty lifted his first ATP Challenger Tour title, defeating countryman Albert Portas 6-2, 7-6(2) in the Barletta final. Fittingly, Nadal’s first Challenger crown came on clay, the surface on which he claimed a record 63 tour-level titles.

<img alt=”Albert Portas and Rafael Nadal at the Barletta Challenger, 2003.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/11/19/23/34/nadal-barlettach-2003.jpg” />
Albert Portas and Rafael Nadal at the Barletta Challenger, 2003. Credit: Barletta Challenger

The Spaniard belongs to an exclusive club of seven players who have lifted a Challenger trophy at the age of 16 and under. This is what the ATP Challenger Tour prides itself in: Being a building block for young players testing their game against the world’s best.

And little did the fans in Barletta know that the teenager in front of their eyes would someday become just that — one of the world’s best.

Nadal competed in only three more Challenger tournaments, highlighted by his triumph on home soil in Segovia in July 2003. Only two men have captured multiple Challenger titles at a younger age than Nadal: Richard Gasquet (2003) and Felix Auger-Aliassime (2017).

<img alt=”Rafael Nadal wins the 2003 Segovia Challenger.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/11/19/23/33/nadal-segoviach-2003-trophy.jpg” />
Rafael Nadal wins the 2003 Segovia Challenger. Credit: Open Castilla y Leon

Nadal’s Segovia triumph came with an additional milestone. He secured his place in the Top 50 of the PIF ATP Rankings for the first time. The 92-time tour-level titlist eventually spent 209 weeks as World No. 1 throughout his illustrious career.

It has been more than two decades since Nadal competed on the ATP Challenger Tour, but the 38-year-old has not been absent from that level. The very platform that helped launch Nadal’s journey has routinely made a stop at The Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar since 2018.

The state-of-the-art facility hosts a hard-court Challenger tournament during the first week of the US Open and provides the next crop of young players with the same opportunities that Nadal once seized. It is one way Nadal continues to give back to the sport, ensuring the ATP Challenger Tour remains a critical platform for developing talent.

<img alt=”Rafael Nadal attends the Manacor Challenger on Saturday.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/09/02/16/41/nadal-mallorcach-2024.jpg” />
Rafael Nadal at the Manacor Challenger in September. Credit: Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar

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‘No excuses just play the sport’: Serena, Beckham among those to salute Nadal on social media

  • Posted: Nov 20, 2024

To celebrate the end of Rafael Nadal’s historic career at this week’s Davis Cup Final 8, ATPTour.com is publishing a series of articles paying tribute to the Spaniard. View our #RafaSiempre series.

Following Rafael Nadal’s final match on Tuesday at the Davis Cup Final 8 in Malaga, a host of tennis legends, including Rod Laver, Serena Williams and Roger Federer, paid tribute to the Spanish great on social media.

There was also a considerable outpouring of praise from well-known figures from outside tennis. Messages such as one from former football superstar David Beckham are a reflection of the way Nadal has transcended sport.

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My Influences: What is it like to hit with Alcaraz & Sinner? Van Assche reveals all

  • Posted: Nov 20, 2024

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be on the other side of the net to Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner? According to Luca Van Assche, the pace of the ball, the explosive movement and clean timing make it one of sports biggest tests.

As part of our Next Gen ‘My Influences’ series, the Frenchman opened the lid on his encounters with Alcaraz and Sinner, having hit with the former Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF champions this year.

Van Assche, currently fifth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah, also discusses his memories of facing 2018 champion Stefanos Tsitsipas in Melbourne, the support from his family and early Roland Garros memories.

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Which former Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF champion do you most identify with?
It’s difficult because there are a lot of different players. But out of my game, I think I connect [most] with the first [champion], Hyeon Chung. He’s very solid. Physically very good. He can hit a lot from the baseline with a very good backhand. I think the other guys are not really my type of game. 

What memorable interactions have you had with the former Next Gen champions?
I played against [Stefanos] Tsitsipas this year at the Australian Open. It was my first time in the third round. It was nice. I practised with him also. I played Medjedovic last year and the others, I think I’ve just practised with Sinner, Alcaraz and Nakashima. 

What stood out to you about those guys when you played with him?
Of course, they have very good games. Sinner and Alcaraz, number one and two in the world. With Alcaraz, I practised with him this year at Roland Garros, right before the tournament. Of course his forehand is incredible. His intensity on the practice court is great. With Sinner, I practised with him this year in Monte-Carlo. His capacity to take the ball early and play so fast — is something crazy.

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What is your first memory of watching professional tennis?
When I was a kid, I watched a lot of matches. Every year I watched Roland Garros on TV. I watched the Davis Cup when France played. 

Is there a Roland Garros match that you remember watching?
Of course I saw the Novak-Rafa 9-7 in the fifth [in 2013]. Then I saw the final against [David] Ferrer. I went a couple years to Roland Garros when I was a kid. I was living in Lyon and I went to see the quarter-finals. I saw Tommy Haas against Djokovic in the quarters [in 2013]. I saw Nadal against Ferrer, also in the quarter-finals [in 2014]. I went to the train early with my family, we went there, watched the match and went back to Lyon in the evening. It was nice memories. On TV, I think every afternoon after school I was going home and putting it on the TV.

Who have been some of the general influences in your life over the years, whether it be parents, early coaches, other people who have influenced you?
I think my parents because I lived with them since I was a kid and I still live with them. They gave me their education. The person who I am now is because of them. I think also my coach Yannick Quere. From age 11 to this year, I was only with him and seeing him more than my family. He’s an incredible person also. I grew up a lot with him.

Do you have any specific lessons you learned from either your parents or a coach?
My parents taught me a lot — that I need to be a humble person, to work hard to achieve what I want to achieve. Basics in life, but very important. I think also Yannick, he had the same mentality as my parents. Of course, it’s very important to play well in tennis because he was my tennis coach, but the most important is also the part outside the court. You need to be a good person, not just a good tennis player. That’s a little bit what they taught me.

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Moya: The privilege of being with Rafa

  • Posted: Nov 20, 2024

I first met Rafa when he was 11 years old, in Stuttgart. He was playing in a tournament on the Nike Junior Tour, in the under-12 category, and I was playing in the Masters 1000 in the same city. I think that at that time it was part of the Super 9 or Masters Series category, I can’t remember now. I was playing with Becker and Rafa came to the practice the day before with someone from Nike, who introduced him to me. They asked me to play 10 minutes with him, and we knocked up for a bit. That was the first time we crossed paths. I thought he was a very shy and well-mannered boy, who barely spoke. Then on court he was transformed and his intensity was so high for someone of his age.

Later, in 2016, it was such a joy to receive the call from the team, but first I wanted to have a conversation alone with him. He was coming off the back of two seasons where things had not gone well for him, he was 30 years old and didn’t know what to do going forward. We sat down to talk at my house and he laid out his goals for me. I didn’t hesitate in the slightest to accept because I could see he’d be able to achieve them. I was hugely confident and when I saw his desire to try to get back to where he deserved to be, which was at the top and winning Grand Slam titles, I didn’t hesitate to join the project.

With that desire, I knew that he’d be perfectly capable of achieving it.

 

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Honestly, I thought my new role would be more difficult because it was a big change. We’d been friends for over 20 years, shared a lot together, both on and off the court, and becoming his coach… I was doubtful about how it might work. It’s true that Rafa is very well-mannered and respectful, I’ve never heard him say a single word against his team or his family. That’s something I also valued and it helped me when it came to working with him. I don’t like the word ‘boss’, but sometimes you make decisions or you have conversations that aren’t easy and it’s hard travelling and spending so much time together. I was scared that that could erode the friendship side of it, but it wasn’t the case.

During that time, I’d say that nothing surprised me, but I admired a lot of things. I wasn’t at all surprised because my expectations had always been so high with him. But it is true that you are always amazed with his capacity to evolve and improve.

Personally, I’m fascinated by the fact that he can play every point as if the previous one didn’t happen, that’s so hard to do in tennis. Rafa is able to put anything bad that happens to one side and forget it. That’s one of the keys that allow him to fight for every point, every set, every match; one of the keys that have allowed him to go so far. The definition of resilience, a word that is very fashionable, is Rafa. He has fallen many times, particularly with injuries, and he has always got back up and come back. All those skills are incredible and they’d surprise me in anyone else I didn’t know, but I know Rafa… It doesn’t surprise me, but it makes me admire him a lot.

Now that everything is over, I have many memories of an incredible period of my life that will never be matched. It’s something I’ll always carry with me. I’m grateful that he thought I could form part of his team for this adventure. I’ve learned so much, I’ve had the chance to spend eight years with one of the greats in the history of this sport and my memories of it are wonderful.

 

Of course, there will be things I’ll miss, but they’re things I’m grateful for. Having enjoyed all that time with a player like him, with a person like him, all the experiences we’ve had together with the team…

I’m sure there’ll be moments when I’ll look back and feel nostalgia, but I always look at new beginnings as a positive thing. Fortunately, I have a wonderful family with whom I’ll be able to spend a lot of time. I’m sure I’ll feel nostalgia, but what I feel above all is gratitude and appreciation.

*Carlos Moyà was Rafael Nadal’s coach from 2017 to 2024

 

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