Rafael Nadal has held on to his No.1 spot after he won his record 11th French Open Title, as he sits barely ahead of World No.2 Swiss Legend Roger Federer. The Spaniard has overcome unusually strong opposition to rack up 17 grand-slam wins so far. His quest for third Wimbledon singles title ended last week when he lost to Novak Djokovic. The high-quality tennis match saw both of them giving it their best as is expected from the players of such class in such a great tournament. Rafael Nadal saved two break points early in the game but couldn't save the match because of the continuous pressure and quality shots from Djokovic. The contest that seemed to be worth the trophy clearly saw Djokovic as a better player on that day.
Rafael Nadal has the second most number of grand slam titles after Roger Federer who has 20 titles to his name. In the major, Nadal has won 11 French Open Titles, 3 US Open Titles, 2 Wimbledon titles, and one Australian Open Title. Nadal won his first Grand Slam at the age of 24. Spanish professional tennis player, Rafael Nadal is currently world No. 1 in men's singles tennis by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP).
Rafael Nadal won his first Grand Slam in the year 2005, In his first-ever appearance of the French Open, he defeated Roger Federer in the semi-finals of the tournament. He will remember his first ever Grand Slam as it was this title that transformed him into a player known for his backhand strength and someone who could possibly make it tough for Roger Federer in the future and that's exactly what he did.
Rafael Nadal will always be known as the King of Clay for his 11 Grand Slam titles being victories in French Open only. He has been so tough on clay that nobody really could get to his level, people had begun realizing his incredible defensive skills, as well as his massive topspin forehand which suits well for clay court play.
Does this mean he has been performing this way only in French Open titles?
Truth is that whenever he has performed or been a part of French Open he has been destructive and has totally outperformed other players. His consistent performance on Clay had a psychological effect on the players facing him and the same worked in the favor of Nadal as he was always confident of making it through to finals and winning the Title again and again.
Is he just the king of clay?
If he would have been a player who had limited his game to clay courts only he simply would not have been on the top of rankings. Also, he is the only player who has won 17 Grand Slam Titles after Roger Federer who has won 20 Grand Slams so far. Nadal also has 2 Wimbledon Titles, 3 US Open Titles and One Australian Open Title to his name, this shows how he has been dominating and hardworking throughout his career. He started as a King of Clay and later reigned over all other titles to make his dreams reality and to see his name on the list of most esteemed tennis players of all time.
Why is he the best?
In 2004, World started recognizing another talent whom they thought could be the future of tennis, the player we are talking about is Rafael Nadal who was just another ordinary player. The question in the minds of experts was whether he could just use that talent when it needed it the most, and he did answer them as he not only won the first Grand Slam but also defeated Roger Federer in the semi-finals. It was then his journey of Grand Slams started as he continued to win French Open Titles which lead to people questioning his talent and if he was only good on a single surface which was a clay court. It was his dedication and hard work that answered all the questions when he won the Wimbledon title not once but twice and surged in US Open thrice.
Writing about Rafael Nadal has brought me happiness as does reading about his journey. It is wonderful to see how he has been not only a great competition on the court but also a great person off the court, sometimes it matters more than just playing. This article is dedicated to all the tennis fans who always have been amazed and excited like I have been to see Rafael Nadal move to the top of the world.
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