Former World No. 1 Rafael Nadal of the Indian Aces took the Mercedes Cup earlier this yearWhen Pete Sampras reached a world record 14 Grand Slam titles, it was considered one of the monumental feats ever in the world of men’s tennis. Just a few years later though, Roger Federer, arguably the greatest of all time, went past that number. But what is perhaps most remarkable is the way Rafael Nadal equalled the number 14, playing in the era of two of the greatest tennis players the world has seen - Federer and Novak Djokovic - all while nursing a string of career-threatening injuries. A teenage prodigy and a fierce fighter with an unconventional game, the Spaniard is one of only two players to have won at least two Grand Slams on every surface - grass, clay and hardcourt.Nadal, who will be representing the Indian Aces at the 2015 IPTL, is 29 now and has been troubled by a spate of injuries lately. But he seemed to be getting back to his best form at the end of 2015, evidenced by his deep runs at Basel and the World Tour Finals in London.(For tickets to the Indian Aces matches, click here).Even though Nadal is still quite young, he already has a string of nearly unbreakable records to his credit. From number of claycourt titles to career and surface win percentage, Nadal is head and shoulders over his competitors in many different areas.Here, we take a look at some of Nadal's superhuman efforts which are unlikely to be bettered.
#1 Youngest to a Career Golden Slam in the Open Era
Nadal completed a Career Grand Slam at the young age of 24, three and five years younger than Roger Federer and Andre Agassi respectively. Don Budge did it at the age of 23, but that was of course in 1938 - before the Open Era.
Nadal achieved this phenomenal feat in 2010, when he won the US Open. Incredibly, that also helped him complete a Career Golden Slam, considering he had won the Olympic gold in 2008.
Breaking the Career Grand Slam age record of 24 years in itself would be a Herculean task, especially considering the 'aging' of the sport in recent years. But winning the Olympic gold by that age too, in a quadrennial event, would be a completely different monster.
We can almost be assured that this record is here to stay. The corollary to this astonishing feat is the fact that at one point Nadal held the Olympic gold and Majors on three different surfaces, testimony to his versatility.
#2 Least number of Majors to complete a Career Grand Slam in Open Era
Nadal was young when he completed his Career Grand Slam. But what is even more significant is the number of Grand Slams it took him to accomplish that feat.
Nadal won his first Major in 2005, the French Open, and he completed the Career Grand Slam just five years later. Nadal needed just 26 Slam appearances to do that, way less than the 41 Agassi needed. Federer took as many as 46 appearances to complete the same.
Djokovic is already comfortably over the mark, while still searching for the elusive French Open. Suffice to say, this is another record that will stand the test of time considering the level of modern day competition.
#3 Winning at least one Grand Slam every year for the longest period 10 years
Some consider Federer the greatest men’s player to hold the racquet, at least in the Open Era. But Federer could get his hands on Major silverware consecutively for only eight years. The other two greats who did it eight years in a row are Bjorn Borg and Pete Sampras.
However, from 2005 to 2014, Nadal won at least one Grand Slam every year. His record of having won at least one Major for 10 consecutive years will probably never be broken, although in 2015 Nadal’s brilliant run came to an end.
#4 Most number of titles at one Grand Slam
Nadal has won the French Open an unprecedented nine times, and he is far from finished. Pete Sampras and Federer winning the Wimbledon 'just' seven times is proof of how far ahead Nadal is from the rest of the world when it comes to complete dominance over one surface.
The greatest ever player on clay, Nadal’s nine titles at Roland Garros would take some beating. Winning nine Slams overall in a career is considered a major achievement. Winning the same Slam nine times is an unfathomable feat that will take a genius with luck and longevity.
Interestingly, Nadal won the French Open in his debut attempt, something only Mats Wilander did before him. He is also one of only four tennis players to win what is known as the Channel Slam – winning the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year, something that has eluded most greats.
#5 Winning streak on clay
There are two numbers here that will possibly never be bettered. Nadal’s winning percentage at the French Open is a staggering 97.22, with 2 losses and 70 wins. The important number to note is his 70 wins; the percentage might come down a little bit if he loses early at the French Open next year. The next highest among current players in terms of most match wins at the French Open is Federer’s 65, but Federer has 16 losses to Nadal’s two.
Another astonishing number is 81 – Nadal’s winning streak on clay, which is the longest on one particular type of surface in the Open Era. Neither of these records is likely to ever be broken, considering how hard it is for any player to dominate one surface so completely, more so on clay.
What is the foot injury that has troubled Rafael Nadal over the years? Check here
