One of the greatest players ever to play the game,Ā Rafael NadalĀ transcended the boundaries of tennis and had his influence all over the sporting world. The Spaniard retired from the sport in November 2024, ending a two-decade-long career.
Throughout his illustrious career which spanned over 1000 match victories and over 90 career titles, the Spaniard played numerous matches that showed the world his brilliance on the court.
Let’s take a look at some of the matches that were pivotal in shaping the Spaniard’s long career
#5 Rafael Nadal vs Andy Roddick, 2004 Davis Cup
2004 was a stepping stone for Rafael Nadal in international tennis, as the Spaniard won his maiden ATP title at the Prokom Open. The 18-year-old Spaniard was included in the Spanish Davis Cup team because of his performances and the promise he had shown.
Nadal lost his first match against Jiri Novak of the Czech Republic. However, he redeemed himself, winning against Radek Stepanek in the final game to win the tie for Spain. In the semifinal, the teenager won his match againstĀ Arnaud Clement, helping Spain to qualify for the Final where they faced off against the USA.
Nadal was pitted to play against the then World No. 2 Andy Roddick in a crucial singles match. The pair had met only once before that when the American blew away the Spanish teenager at the 2003Ā US Open. However, on this occasion, the match started on a close note, as Roddick edged the Spaniard in the first set tiebreak.
Nadal was undaunted by the situation and responded by winning the second set. The third set was close again, but the youngster kept his composure to win it in the tiebreaker. He used the momentum and clinched a dominant 6-2 win in the fourth set, giving Spain a crucial victory to lift the Davis Cup title.
# 4 Rafael Nadal vs Mariano Puerta, 2005 French Open
At the 2005 French Open, Nadal was already making a name for himself as an excellent clay-courter. The young Spaniard had already bagged 5 clay-court titles including Masters titles in Monte-Carlo and Rome. He had beaten clay-court veterans likeĀ Juan Carlos FerreroĀ and Guillermo Coria in those title runs.
Therefore the Mallorcan was a favorite for the title at Roland Garros. He reached the semifinal with wins over the likes of Lars Burgsmuller, Xavier Malisse, Richard Gasquet, Sebastian Grosjean, and David Ferrer. He faced top seedĀ Roger FedererĀ in the semifinal, prevailing in four close sets to reach his maiden Major final.
In the final, Nadal faced off against Mariano Puerta. The Argentine won the first set in a close tiebreaker. However, the Spaniard did not panic and won the next two sets dominantly. Puerta gave a strong fight in the fourth set, but the fourth seed staved off the Argentine to win the match and lift his firstĀ Grand Slam.
#3 Rafael Nadal vs Roger Federer, 2008 Wimbledon
By the 2008 Wimbledon, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer were the top 2 players in the sport. While the Spaniard held the aces while playing on the clay, it seemed Federer had the advantage while playing on a faster surface like the grass.
The duo met at the French Open and Wimbledon finals for three straight years, from 2006-2008. The Spaniard won the three Roland Garros titles against the Swiss, while Federer won the Wimbledon Finals in 2006 and 2007.
However, coming into the 2008 Wimbledon, Nadal had won his maiden Grass court Major, winning the Queen’s Club Championships. He entered Wimbledon as the second seed and made his way to face Federer in the final for a third straight year.
Nadal hit the ground running by playing aggressive tennis to take a two-sets-to-love lead over the five-time defending champion. However, after a rain interruption, Federer found his form back, winning close tiebreaks to claim the third and fourth sets. In what was a thrilling match, the Spaniard held his nerve in the fifth set to win the title in one of the most crucial matches of his career.
#2 Rafael Nadal vs Novak Djokovic, 2010 US Open
Coming into the 2010 US Open, Nadal was the No.1 player in the world. He already had won two Majors in the year, winning the French Open and the Wimbledon titles. However, New York was the one Major destination the Spaniard had yet to conquer.
Entering the event as the top seed, the Spaniard did not drop a set on his way to his first US Open final. He secured straight-set victories over Teymuraz Gabashvili,Ā Denis Istomin, Gile Simon, Feliciano Lopez, Fernando Verdasco, andĀ Mikhail YouzhnyĀ to face off against Novak Djokovic in the final.
Coming into the final, the Spaniard led the head-to-head 14-7. Being the top seed he was that favorite as well. The pair split the first two sets at the Arthur Ashe Stadium. However, the third set proved to be decisive as Nadal broke the Serb down, and used the momentum to win the match in the fourth set. This helped Nadal complete his set of winning every Grand Slam at least once.
#1 Rafael Nadal vs Daniil Medvedev, 2022 Australian Open
Coming into the 2022 season, Nadal was coming back from an injury layoff which had seen the Spaniard miss the second half of the 2021 season. With two of his great rivals Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic not being there, Nadal was considered an outside favorite to win the title at the Australian Open. At that point he was tied with Federer and Djokovic, having won 20 Majors each.
Entering the event as the sixth seed, Nadal went on a dream run, winning against players likeĀ Marcos Giron, Yannick Hanfmann, Karen Khachanov, and Adrain Mannrino. The Spaniard played a five-set thriller against Denis Shapovalov in the quarterfinals and then defeated seventh-seededĀ Matteo BerrettiniĀ in the semifinal to reach his 29th career Grand Slam final.
Nadal faced off against second seed Daniil Medvedev in the final. The duo had contested the 2019 US Open final, where the Spnaird had prevailed in five sets. The Melbourne final proved to be a classic. The Russian won the first two sets and was on the verge of breaking Nadal in the third set.
However, in what was a miraculous recovery, Nadal won the match in five sets, in over 5 hours, to become the first male player to reach the mark of 21 Grand Slam singles titles. In doing so, he also completed the double career Grand Slam.
