5 records that may never be Rafael Nadal's

Rafael Nadal is known as one of the fiercest competitors in tennis. The Spaniard plays every point of every game as if his life depends on it.

During his stellar 17-year professional career, Nadal has racked up numerous wins, titles, and records. The various records the southpaw has to his name include: a staggering total of 12 titles at Roland Garros, 10 or more title wins at 3 different tournaments (12 at Roland Garros, 11 each at Monte Carlo and Barcelona), and being one of only five players in the Open Era to win the career Grand Slam (all 4 major titles during the course of one's career).

Unreal, right? Nope, just Rafa things!

You may also like: 3 milestones awaiting Nadal in 2020.

Nadal's 81-match win streak on clay (2005 Monte Carlo to 2007 Hamburg) is the longest by any player in the Open Era on any surface (Federer has 65 on grass, McEnroe had 65 on carpet, Federer again with 56 on hard court). Other than that, he leads the all-time ATP Masters 1000 match wins (384) and title wins (35) and is one of the only three players in the world to contest over 50 title matches in the tournament category.

The Mallorcan's 13 Grand Slam-winning seasons and 10-consecutive seasons of winning a Grand Slam title are unrivaled by any other player in the Open Era. His total of 19 Grand Slam titles is only behind Roger Federer's tally of 20. He also became the oldest year-end world no. 1 (33-years-old) following Novak Djokovic's group-stage exit at the 2019 ATP Finals.

While Nadal has the best career win-loss record of any player (to have played over 200 singles matches) in the Open Era, here are a few milestones which may elude the grasp of the legendary left-hander:

# 5: Win all 9 Masters 1000 tournaments

Nadal captured his record-extending 11th Monte Carlo title in 2018

The all-time Masters 1000 title leader (35) has won 11 titles in Monte Carlo. Nadal's 'undecima' at the Principality is the most Masters 1000 titles won by a player at one tournament.

One of only three active players, the others being Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, to have reached the finals at all nine Masters 1000 tournaments in a calendar year, the Spaniard is winless in five finals in Miami, two finals in Shanghai, and one in Paris-Bercy.

Nadal came the closest to lifting the Miami title when he lost the deciding set tiebreak to Djokovic in 2011. He has lost both his title matches in Shanghai (2009 to Nikolay Davydenko and 2017 to Roger Federer) and his lone final at the Paris-Bercy Masters (2007 to David Nalbandian in straight sets).

Also Checkout: Tennis Schedule 2020

# 4: Most match wins in Grand Slams

Rafael Nadal won his 19th Grand Slam title at the 2019 US Open

Nadal lifted his 19th Grand Slam title and his 4th at Flushing Meadows at the 2019 US Open. The Spaniard's triumph meant that 2019 ended with the all-time Grand Slam title-board tally between Federer and Nadal reading 20-19.

Nadal's 271 match wins in Grand Slams is only behind his Big 3 peers Roger Federer (357) and Novak Djokovic (280). One of the only two players, the other being Federer, to reach five finals at each of the four Grand Slam tournaments, the Spaniard has averaged a staggering 23 Grand Slam match wins in the last three seasons.

You may also like: 2019 ended 20-19, would 2020 end 20-20 for Federer and Nadal atop the all-time Grand Slam title leaderboard?

Assuming Nadal manages to stay healthy and continues with his good form in the next two seasons, 2020 could see him record 300 Grand Slam match wins. While there is a strong possibility that Nadal could share or take the outright lead for most Grand Slam titles, he may not end up with the most match wins record as the two players ahead of him - Federer and Djokovic - are still going strong.

# 3: Win the ATP Finals title

Nadal came up short in the 2013 ATP Finals final to Djokovic

In Nadal's rich resume resplendent with numerous records and achievements, the ATP Finals title is a glaring miss.

He has qualified for the ATP Finals for a record 15 consecutive seasons, but owing to injuries, his appearances at the season-ending tournament have been limited to 9. Twice, he has failed to qualify from the group stage (2009 and 2011).

The 12-time Roland Garros champion has only won two of his five semifinals at the season-ending tournament but on both occasions, he lost in the finals (2010 against Roger Federer and 2013 against Novak Djokovic).

You may also like: The last 5 players to win the ATP Finals.

# 2: Most match wins

Rafael Nadal

Nadal's tally of 977 career singles wins is only behind that of Ivan Lendl (1058), Roger Federer (1237), and Jimmy Connors (1274) in the all-time list of most wins.

With the Spaniard trailing second-placed Federer by 260 wins, coupled with the fact that the Swiss maestro is showing no signs of slowing down any time soon, the numero uno spot in the all-time list could be beyond Nadal.

# 1: Most wins on clay court

Rafael Nadal

The king of clay has numerous records on the red dirt. The first player to win 10 titles at a tournament on the surface, Nadal completed the triple 'La Decima' in 2017 when he swooped the Monte Carlo, Barcelona, and Roland Garros titles in 2017.

Nadal's 12 Roland Garros titles are the most won by a player at any tournament in the Open Era. The Spaniard had a staggering 81-match unbeaten streak on the surface between 2005 Monte Carlo and 2007 Hamburg before he was beaten by Federer in the final.

The Mallorcan's 59 titles on clay are the most by any player on the surface. However, Nadal's 436 match wins on clay is only 3rd on the all-time list, behind Guillermo Vilas' 672 and Manuel Orantes' 538. While Nadal could get past Orantes' mark, Vilas' tally might be a tad too far for the all-conquering Spaniard.