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Rafael Nadal won his third title of the year at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel after defeating Cameron Norrie in straight sets on Saturday. With the win, the Spaniard extended his unbeaten run this year to 15 matches to kick off the 2022 season. But none of this seemed possible just a few weeks ago.
After Nadal cut short his 2021 season in August to recover from a foot injury, there were doubts regarding his future in the game. He made a comeback at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship, an exhibition event in December, but lost both his matches.
The Spaniard tested positive for COVID-19 following the conclusion of the tournament, further complicating matters and putting his campaign at the Australian Open in jeopardy.
But Nadal has been a fighter throughout his life, both on and off the court. After a turbulent few months, he made a successful comeback at the start of the year by winning the Melbourne Summer Set.
The 35-year old then won a record-breaking 21st Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, completing a double career Grand Slam. He ended his three-way tie with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic and for the first time in his career took the lead in the Grand Slam race.
With his latest triumph in Acapulco, we take a look at a few more career milestones Rafael Nadal has achieved.
#1- Rafael Nadal won his 91st career title
The Spaniard's victory in Acapulco saw him lift his 91st career title. Nadal, however, is still fourth when it comes to most titles won in the Open Era. Jimmy Connors is way ahead with 109, followed by Roger Federer and Ivan Lendl with 103 and 94 titles respectively.
The 21-time Grand Slam winner needs just four more titles to overtake Lendl. He'll be the heavy favorite to win every tournament he competes in on clay in the next few months. Considering Nadal's current form, it won't be surprising if he moves ahead of Lendl by the end of the year.
#2 - This was Rafael Nadal's 4th title in Acapulco without dropping a set
This was Nadal's fourth title in Acapulco, having previously emerged as the champion in 2005, 2013 and 2020. On all four occasions, he has won the title without dropping a set. He has won 10 consecutive matches and 20 consecutive sets at the tournament.
The Spaniard won the first two of his four titles in Acapulco when the tournament was held on clay. The surface was changed to hardcourt in 2014, following which he won two more titles. He is the only player to win the title twice on clay and hardcourt in Acapulco.
With four titles, Nadal joins compatriot David Ferrer and former World No. 1 Thomas Muster as the most successful player at the ATP 500 event. He was also the runner-up in 2017 when he was upset by Sam Querrey in the final.
#3 - Rafael Nadal won his 30th career title without dropping a set
Nadal further extended his record of winning the most titles in the Open Era without losing a set. His latest title in Acapulco was the 30th time he has achieved this incredible feat.
Since 2004, Nadal has won at least one title without losing a set every year except in 2014 and 2019. He almost did it twice in 2014, losing just one set at the Rio Open and the Madrid Open. He came close again in 2019, dropping just one set en route to winning the Italian Open and the Canadian Open.
#4 - Rafael Nadal has now won 11 consecutive finals
Starting with the 2019 Italian Open, Nadal has won 11 consecutive finals. During this period, he has won four Grand Slam titles, three Masters 1000 and ATP 500 events and one ATP 250 tournament.
This, however, remains Nadal's second-best winning streak in finals. From April 2005 to June 2006, he won 14 finals in a row. His winning streak was snapped in the final of the 2006 Wimbledon Championships, where he lost to Federer in four sets.
#5 - Rafael Nadal has made his best ever start to a season, with a 15-0 record so far
With a 15-0 record in 2022, Nadal has eclipsed his previous best start to a season, which was 11-0 in 2014. Back then, he won the Qatar Open at the start of the year and made it to the final of the Australian Open, where he lost to Stan Wawrinka in four sets.
Nadal started the 2022 season by winning the Melbourne Summer Set. He needed to win just three matches to lift the title, due to an opening-round bye and a walkover in the quarterfinals.
At the Australian Open, the 35-year-old was tested from time to time en route to the title. Nadal lost the first couple of sets in the final against Daniil Medvedev before staging a stunning comeback to win his 21st Grand Slam title. With seven victories in Melbourne, he improved his record to 10-0.
The former World No. 1 then competed in the Abierto Mexicano Telcel and was the heavy favorite to go all the way. He won all five of his matches quite easily to lift the title and extend his winning streak to 15 matches.
Nadal still has a long way to go if he wants to break the record for the best start to a season. Djokovic, with his incredible 41-0 start in 2011, currently holds this record.
The Spaniard is set to feature at Indian Wells. He's a three-time champion at the event, with his most recent title coming in 2013. If he manages to win the Masters 1000 event and performs as expected during the clay season, he might just be able to surpass Djokovic.
What is the foot injury that has troubled Rafael Nadal over the years? Check here
