With 20 major titles, 36 Masters 1000 trophies, five year-end numbers. 1 placements and multiple Davis Cup crowns, Rafael Nadal was recognized as one of the greatest players of all time. The great Spaniard has been contesting some of the most exciting encounters on the ATP Tour since 2004, always giving everything and trying to cross the finish line before his opponent.
The 35-year-old has been in the top 10 since April 2005, suffered all setbacks with injuries and maintained his place in the elite group. Rafa talked about the most beautiful moments of his incredible career and looked back on the most notable triumphs he achieved from 2004 when he won the first ATP title in Sopot.
Despite having reliable and competitive compatriots, Nadal competed in all four rounds of the Spanish Davis Cup squad as a teenager that year, defeating Andy Roddick in the final in Seville for a win that underscored his pre-2005 career.
Six months later, Nadal became major champion just days after his 19th birthday, beating Roger Federer and Mariano Puerta to reign on his debut at Roland Garros. The Spaniard mastered another surface and a major three years later, defeating Roger Federer in that memorable Wimbledon final after an epic fight and adding the fifth major crown to his collection at the age of 22!
Rafa didn’t have to wait too long to enjoy more tennis fame and overcame all the obstacles at the 2009 Australian Open after battling Fernando Verdasco and Roger Federer for over ten hours in just a few days!
Rafael Nadal spoke about the most important moments of his glorious career
The Spaniard thus mastered the third surface in the majors and continued his search for a career Grand Slam at the US Open in September 2010.
The 2013 US Open is another event on Nadal’s exclusive list that has returned after a serious knee injury that left him incapacitated for seven months. After winning ten titles, Rafa conquered New York in style and returned to the ATP throne in the closing stages of the season.
Eight years later, Nadal is still one of the best players in the world, winning two ATP titles that year and battling a foot injury that forced him to turn off the engines before 2022. “The first Davis Cup in Seville in 2004 against the USA was fascinating.
Then came Roland Garros in 2005, my first major trophy. Wimbledon 2008 is also a defining moment in my career for a variety of reasons. I have to mention the 2009 Australian Open, another colossal success that came unexpectedly after all the fighting.
The 2013 US Open are also on the exclusive list and won the title after a knee injury that kept me off the pitch for seven months, “said Rafael Nadal.
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