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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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My Influences: Shang on Alcaraz experience & parents’ support
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My Influences: Gaubas opens up on ‘amazing’ Alcaraz experience
My Influences: Tien trusting the process & bouncing off Michelsen
My Influences: Quinn on ‘grounded’ Sinner & Paul’s mentorship

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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Dutch double seals Nadal's fate in Malaga

  • Posted: Nov 20, 2024

Wesley Koolhof made sure to remind everyone that Rafael Nadal wasn’t the only one retiring from professional tennis this week at the Davis Cup in Malaga.

The 35-year-old, competing in his final tour-level event, teamed up with Botic van de Zandschulp to secure a vital 7-6(4), 7-6(3) victory over Carlos Alcaraz and Marcel Granollers on Tuesday evening to book The Netherland’s spot in the semi-finals. Defeat for Spain ensured that Nadal’s straight-sets loss to Van de Zandschulp in the first singles rubber was the 22-time Grand Slam champion’s final match as a pro.

“I reached a very, very high level today, which I am very happy about,” said Koolhof. “I think we, as a team, did an amazing job again. Botic told me he struggled on returns, but as long as he made it on match point, I’m happy. This was one of my best matches of the year. I’m looking forward to the next one.”

Producing assured tennis on both serve and return to keep his playing career alive, Koolhof was at the heart of their two-hour, 12-minute victory. A string of sizzling return winners and classy net play in key moments sent the Dutch duo on their way to reaching the last four in the Davis Cup for the first time since 2001.

“Wesley helped me a lot there, he returned unbelievably,” said Van de Zandschulp. “He played amazing, it’s a shame he is going to retire after this event. We could use him next year. It’s been an incredible day.”

Alcaraz, the No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings, had levelled the quarter-final tie at 1-1 with his triumph over Tallon Griekspoor, and it seemed as if he was pulling Spain to an epic comeback when he fired a forehand winner to break Van de Zandschulp’s serve in the second set. The tactical input and emotional support from Nadal on the sidelines didn’t prove enough, however, as the Dutch duo refused to roll over.

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