Rafael Nadal's 2019 in review: A year of tremendous highs and a satisfying conclusion

While Roger Federer is widely considered one of the greatest players of all time, his nemesis and long-time rival Rafael Nadal is not far behind.

Novak Djokovic’s straight-sets loss to Federer in their crucial Nitto ATP Finals tie ensured Nadal achieved the year-ending No. 1 ranking for the 5th time in his illustrious career. The moment when the Spaniard held aloft the World No. 1 trophy, he had an expression of pure joy and pride on his face at ending the 2019 season achieving almost everything that he possibly could have.

Exactly a year ago, Nadal was rehabilitating from an ankle surgery while plagued by multiple other injuries, including recurring knee and abdomen problems. The Spaniard didn't seem sure if he could compete to his full potential in the 2019 season. But look how differently things have turned out.

Here's a breakdown of Nadal's entire season, starting from January:

Strong showings at Australian Open and the Sunshine Masters

2019 Australian Open Runner-up - Nadal (L)

Nadal showed tremendous resilience on his comeback trail at the Australian Open, reaching the finals at Melbourne for the 5th time in his career. The Spaniard was comprehensively beaten by Djokovic in their summit clash at the Rod Laver Arena, but his progress to the final without dropping a set was nothing short of spectacular.

Following a good run Down Under, Nadal stumbled at Acapulco, losing to Nick Kyrgios in three sets in their Round of 16 contest.

At Indian Wells, the first Masters 1000 event of 2019, the Spaniard’s brilliant efforts to overcome an injury and beat Karen Khachanov in in the quarter-final were dampened by gloom as he had to withdraw from his much-anticipated semi-final tie against Federer.

The knee injury that forced Nadal to withdraw from his semi-final clash at Indian Wells also led him to pull out of the Miami Masters that followed.

Claycourt swing - back to where he belongs

The clay season has always been a source of comfort for the ‘King of Clay’. And considering his heroics in the previous two seasons, in each of which he won four titles on the red dirt, no one would have dared to imagine the Spaniard not sweeping the 2019 claycourt swing.

But at the Monte Carlo Masters, Nadal’s fortress where he has won the title a record 11 times so far, the Spaniard was stunned by Fabio Fognini in the semis. Nadal’s comprehensive loss at the Principality was truly shocking as he looked completely out of sorts and narrowly survived a bagel in the 2nd set.

His semifinal reverse at Monaco was not a one-off defeat, but the beginning of string of losses on a surface that Nadal has made his own over the course of the last 15 years. Following his loss to Fognini, the Spaniard succumbed to two more claycourt losses, both in the semifinals.

Dominic Thiem tamed the ‘King of Clay’ in straight sets at Barcelona, and Stefanos Tsitsipas produced a scintillating display of tennis to stun the Spaniard in three sets at the Madrid Masters.

At that point the Spaniard appeared to be circumspect and jaded, as the weight of expectations were clearly taking its toll on his mind and his performances. But there are often dramatic turning points in sports which play a significant role in changing the fortunes of players. And that turning point for Nadal was the Rome Masters.

The Spaniard's triumph in the Italian capital, his first title of 2019, marked the beginning of an incredible run of form that eventually took him all the way to the No. 1 ranking.

Nadal was totally dominant at Rome this year, losing just a solitary set in the entire week. Not just that, but he also served a bagel to four of his five opponents - including Djokovic in the final.

If the triumph at Rome was the first sign of Nadal’s resurgence, his victory at Roland Garros was a confirmation of it. The Spaniard dropped just two sets en route his 12th title win in the French capital.

Another semifinal run at Wimbledon

Just like his 2017 and 2018 seasons, Nadal did not feature in any warm-up tournaments on grass this year before he stepped out on the courts of Wimbledon.

At the All England Club, the then 18-time Grand Slam champion produced a brilliant performance to reach the semifinals for the second straight year. Despite being handed a tough draw, Nadal dropped just one set in his first five matches to set up a meeting with Federer in the semifinal.

In their first clash at Wimbledon since their epic 2008 final, Federer ended Nadal’s dream of bagging his 3rd Wimbledon crown. But their contest lived up to the expectations as the Spaniard went down in a four-set thriller.

Despite the loss at Wimbledon, it was evident that the Spaniard had got his mojo back. He was looking better with each passing tournament, and seemed like a serious contender in the North American hard-court summer swing that was to follow.

Twin victories at the Rogers Cup and US Open

At the Rogers Cup in Montreal, Nadal defended a hard-court title for the first time ever in his career. He won a record-extending 35th Masters 1000 title and 5th Canadian Masters title by defeating Daniil Medvedev in the final.

Following his win in Montreal, the Spaniard opted out of the Cincinnati Masters 1000 in a bid to keep himself fresh for the US Open.

At New York, Nadal reigned supreme for the fourth time in his career to win his 19th career Major. The Nadal-Medvedev final turned out to be an instant classic as the young Russian pushed the veteran Spaniard to his limits in a five-set thriller.

After going down two sets to love, Medvedev showed tremendous resilience to win the next two. But experience prevailed over exuberance as Nadal had the last laugh, winning the nail-biting contest that lasted almost five hours.

After his wins at the French Open and US Open this year, the Spaniard is now just one shy of Federer’s record of 20 Major wins. It will be fascinating to see whether Nadal can manage to be on par with the Swiss great anytime in 2020.

Slowing down at the Paris Masters 1000 and Nitto ATP Finals

Nitto ATP World Tour Finals - Nadal is ecstatic after his victory over Tsitsipas

Nadal played a part in helping Team Europe win the Laver Cup in September, but he missed the Asian hard-court swing that followed owing to a wrist injury. He made his way back on to the tour at the Paris Masters 1000.

While he comfortably won his first three matches on the indoor courts of Paris, he withdrew from his semi-final clash against Denis Shapovalov due to an abdominal injury - which also raised concerns over his participation at the Nitto ATP Finals.

But Nadal did feature at the year-ending tournament. He lost to Alexander Zverev in his first round-robin contest in straight sets - his first loss since the reverse to Federer at Wimbledon. The Spaniard then rose to the occasion to tame Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas in his subsequent matches at the O2 Arena.

In spite of recording two wins out of his three round-robin matches, his efforts were still not enough to find himself a place in the semi-finals. Zverev and Tsitsipas marched on instead, shattering the Spaniard’s dream of clinching his first ever title at the year-ending Finals.

Davis Cup

Putting the disappointment of London behind him, Nadal regrouped to feature for Spain at the Davis Cup finals in Madrid.

In a revamped format, Nadal won as many as five matches in singles and three in doubles to lead Spain to their 6th Davis Cup title (and first since 2011).

Two Grand Slam title wins and twin Masters 1000 victories along with playing a lion’s share in helping Spain to record their 6th Davis Cup title in 2019 - at the age of 33, Nadal couldn’t have asked for anything more this year.

The year-end No. 1 ranking would be like icing on the cake for Nadal as he reflects on the satisfactory run that he enjoyed in 2019.

What is the foot injury that has troubled Rafael Nadal over the years? Check here

Edited by Musab Abid