Full name | Rafael Nadal Parera |
---|---|
Country | Spain |
Calendar prize money | $1,478,832 |
Singles | |
Season record | 24–5 (82.8%) |
Calendar titles | 2 |
Current ranking | No. 6 |
Ranking change from previous year | 4 |
Grand Slam & significant results | |
Australian Open | QF |
French Open | SF |
Wimbledon | A |
US Open | A |
Doubles | |
Season record | 0–0 |
Current ranking | No. 511 |
Ranking change from previous year | 36 |
← 2020 2022 → |
The 2021 Rafael Nadal tennis season officially began on 9 February 2021, with the start of the Australian Open.
Rafael Nadal was scheduled to begin his season at the ATP Cup. However, despite being on the Spanish team, he did not play any matches due to minor back issues. [1] [2]
At the 2021 Australian Open, Nadal lost in the quarterfinals to Stefanos Tsitsipas, despite being two sets to love up. This marked only the second time Nadal has lost a grand slam match after being two sets up. [3] It was overall the third time he lost from 2 sets up, the others happened at the US Open 2015 to Fabio Fognini, and Miami 2005 to Roger Federer in the final when Masters finals were best of 5.
Indian Wells Masters was scheduled to take place in March 2021 but was postponed due to coronavirus concerns. [4]
Nadal withdrew from the Miami Open. [5]
Nadal won his first two matches losing a total of just 5 games in both combined, but then lost to Andrey Rublev in the quarterfinals in three sets.
Nadal saved a match point to defeat Stefanos Tsitsipas, in 3 hours and 38 minutes, the longest final since 1991 (when records began). This was his record-extending 12th title at the event. [6] [7]
Nadal lost to Alexander Zverev in the quarterfinals.
Nadal saved two match points to defeat Denis Shapovalov. He then beat Alexander Zverev and Reilly Opelka to reach the final, where he defeated longtime rival Novak Djokovic in three sets.
At the French Open, Nadal entered as the heavy favorite seeking to become the first man to win 21 majors. He reached the semifinals after wins over Jannik Sinner and Diego Schwartzman, where he encountered Novak Djokovic in a rematch of the previous year's final. There, Nadal was upset by eventual champion Djokovic in four sets, in only his third-ever loss at the French Open.
Nadal withdrew from both Wimbledon and the Olympics, citing schedule reasons.
Nadal made his Washington debut in 2021. He faced Jack Sock in his opener, his first match since losing to Novak Djokovic at the French Open. Nadal recovered from a break down in the third set, prevailing in a final set tiebreak. He lost in the round of 16 to Lloyd Harris (tennis) in three sets.
Following more injury problems, Nadal withdrew from Toronto and Cincinnati, and, on August 20, ended his season, citing his ongoing foot injury as the main issue.
This table chronicles all the matches of Rafael Nadal in 2021.
W | F | SF | QF | #R | RR | Q# | P# | DNQ | A | Z# | PO | G | S | B | NMS | NTI | P | NH |
Tournament | Match | Round | Opponent (seed or key) | Rank | Result | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ATP Cup Melbourne, Australia ATP Cup Hard, outdoor 2 – 7 February 2021 | ||||||
Withdrew | ||||||
Australian Open Melbourne, Australia Grand Slam tournament Hard, outdoor 8 – 21 February 2021 | ||||||
1 / 1209 | 1R | Laslo Đere | 56 | Win | 6–3, 6–4, 6–1 | |
2 / 1210 | 2R | Michael Mmoh (Q) | 177 | Win | 6–1, 6–4, 6–2 | |
3 / 1211 | 3R | Cameron Norrie | 69 | Win | 7–5, 6–2, 7–5 | |
4 / 1212 | 4R | Fabio Fognini (16) | 17 | Win | 6–3, 6–4, 6–2 | |
5 / 1213 | QF | Stefanos Tsitsipas (5) | 6 | Loss | 6–3, 6–2, 6–7(4–7), 4–6, 5–7 | |
Monte-Carlo Masters Monte Carlo, Monaco ATP Tour Masters 1000 Clay, outdoor 12 – 18 April 2021 | ||||||
– | 1R | Bye | ||||
6 / 1214 | 2R | Federico Delbonis (Q) | 87 | Win | 6–1, 6–2 | |
7 / 1215 | 3R | Grigor Dimitrov (14) | 17 | Win | 6–1, 6–1 | |
8 / 1216 | QF | Andrey Rublev (6) | 8 | Loss | 2–6, 6–4, 2–6 | |
Barcelona Open Barcelona, Spain ATP Tour 500 Clay, outdoor 19 – 25 April 2021 | ||||||
– | 1R | Bye | ||||
9 / 1217 | 2R | Ilya Ivashka (Q) | 111 | Win | 3–6, 6–2, 6–4 | |
10 / 1218 | 3R | Kei Nishikori | 39 | Win | 6–0, 2–6, 6–2 | |
11 / 1219 | QF | Cameron Norrie | 58 | Win | 6–1, 6–4 | |
12 / 1220 | SF | Pablo Carreño Busta (6) | 13 | Win | 6–3, 6–2 | |
13 / 1221 | W | Stefanos Tsitsipas (2) | 5 | Win (1) | 6–4, 6–7(6–8), 7–5 | |
Madrid Open Madrid, Spain ATP Tour Masters 1000 Clay, outdoor 2 – 9 May 2021 | ||||||
– | 1R | Bye | ||||
14 / 1222 | 2R | Carlos Alcaraz (WC) | 120 | Win | 6–1, 6–2 | |
15 / 1223 | 3R | Alexei Popyrin (Q) | 76 | Win | 6–3, 6–3 | |
16 / 1224 | QF | Alexander Zverev (5) | 6 | Loss | 4–6, 4–6 | |
Italian Open Rome, Italy ATP Tour Masters 1000 Clay, outdoor 9 – 16 May 2021 | ||||||
– | 1R | Bye | ||||
17 / 1225 | 2R | Jannik Sinner | 18 | Win | 7–5, 6–4 | |
18 / 1226 | 3R | Denis Shapovalov (13) | 14 | Win | 3–6, 6–4, 7–6(7–3) | |
19 / 1227 | QF | Alexander Zverev (6) | 6 | Win | 6–3, 6–4 | |
20 / 1228 | SF | Reilly Opelka | 47 | Win | 6–4, 6–4 | |
21 / 1229 | W | Novak Djokovic (1) | 1 | Win (2) | 7–5, 1–6, 6–3 | |
French Open Paris, France Grand Slam tournament Clay, outdoor 30 May – 13 June 2021 | ||||||
22 / 1230 | 1R | Alexei Popyrin | 63 | Win | 6–3, 6–2, 7–6(7–3) | |
23 / 1231 | 2R | Richard Gasquet | 53 | Win | 6–0, 7–5, 6–2 | |
24 / 1232 | 3R | Cameron Norrie | 45 | Win | 6–3, 6–3, 6–3 | |
25 / 1233 | 4R | Jannik Sinner (18) | 19 | Win | 7–5, 6–3, 6–0 | |
26 / 1234 | QF | Diego Schwartzman (10) | 10 | Win | 6–3, 4–6, 6–4, 6–0 | |
27 / 1235 | SF | Novak Djokovic (1) | 1 | Loss | 6–3, 3–6, 6–7(4–7), 2–6 | |
Citi Open Washington, United States ATP Tour 500 Hard, outdoor 31 July – 8 August 2021 | ||||||
– | 1R | Bye | ||||
28 / 1236 | 2R | Jack Sock (WC) | 192 | Win | 6–2, 4–6, 7–6(7–1) | |
29 / 1237 | 3R | Lloyd Harris (14) | 50 | Loss | 4–6, 6–1, 4–6 | |
Canadian Open Toronto, Canada ATP Tour Masters 1000 Hard, outdoor 6 – 15 August 2021 | ||||||
Withdrew | ||||||
Tournament | Match | Round | Opponent (seed or key) | Rank | Result | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A Day at the Drive Adelaide, Australia Hard, outdoor 29 January 2021 | ||||||
1 | – | Dominic Thiem | 3 | Win | 7–5, 6–4 | |
Per Rafael Nadal, this is his current 2021 schedule (subject to change). [9] The ATP rankings are currently affected by the COVID-19 pandemic; they are on a Best of 24-month basis through the week of 15 March 2021. Until then, all the events are non-mandatory and players can use the best result from the same event in that 24-month span. [10]
Date | Tournament | Location | Tier | Surface | Prev. result | Prev. points | New points | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2 February 2021– 7 February 2021 | ATP Cup | Melbourne (AUS) | ATP Cup | Hard | F | 250 | 0 (250 [lower-alpha 1] ) | Withdrew due to minor back issues |
8 February 2021– 21 February 2021 | Australian Open | Melbourne (AUS) | Grand Slam | Hard | QF | 360 | 360 | Quarterfinals (lost to Stefanos Tsitsipas, 6–3, 6–2, 6–7(4–7), 4–6, 5–7) |
15 March 2021– 20 March 2021 | Mexican Open | Acapulco (MEX) | 500 Series | Hard | W | 500 | 0 (500 [lower-alpha 1] ) | Withdrew |
22 March 2021– 4 April 2021 | Miami Open | Miami (USA) | Masters 1000 | Hard | NH | N/A | N/A | Withdrew |
12 April 2021– 18 April 2021 | Monte Carlo Masters | Monte Carlo (MON) | Masters 1000 | Clay | SF | 360 | 180 | Quarterfinals (lost to Andrey Rublev, 2–6, 6–4, 2–6) |
19 April 2021– 25 April 2021 | Barcelona Open | Barcelona (ESP) | 500 Series | Clay | SF | 180 | 500 | Champion (defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas, 6-4, 6–7(6–8), 7–5) |
3 May 2021– 9 May 2021 | Madrid Open | Madrid (ESP) | Masters 1000 | Clay | SF | 360 | 180 | Quarterfinals (lost to Alexander Zverev, 4–6, 4–6) |
9 May 2021– 16 May 2021 | Italian Open | Rome (ITA) | Masters 1000 | Clay | QF | 180 (1000 [lower-alpha 1] ) | 1000 | Champion (defeated Novak Djokovic, 7-5, 1–6, 6–3) |
31 May 2021– 13 June 2021 | French Open | Paris (FRA) | Grand Slam | Clay | W | 2000 | 720 (1000 [lower-alpha 2] ) | Semifinals (lost to Novak Djokovic, 6–3, 3–6, 6–7(4–7), 2–6) |
28 June 2021– 11 July 2021 | Wimbledon | London (GBR) | Grand Slam | Grass | SF | 720 | 0 (360 [lower-alpha 2] ) | Withdrew |
31 July 2021– 8 August 2021 | Citi Open | Washington (USA) | 500 Series | Hard | A | N/A | 45 | Third round (lost to L Harris, 4–6, 6–1,4-6) |
6 August 2021– 15 August 2021 | Canadian Open | Toronto (CAN) | Masters 1000 | Hard | NH | 1000 [lower-alpha 1] | 0 (500 [lower-alpha 2] ) | Withdrew |
15 August 2021– 22 August 2021 | Cincinnati Masters | Mason (USA) | Masters 1000 | Hard | A | 0 | 0 | |
6 August 2021– 15 August 2021 | US Open | New York (USA) | Grand Slam | Hard | A | 0 (2000 [lower-alpha 1] ) | 0 | |
4 October 2021– 11 October 2021 | Indian Wells Masters | Indian Wells (USA) | Masters 1000 | Hard | NH | 360 [lower-alpha 1] | 0 | |
1 November 2021– 7 November 2021 | Paris Masters | Paris (FRA) | Masters 1000 | Hard | SF | 360 | 0 | |
Total year-end points | 9850 | 4875 | 4975difference |
Rafael Nadal has a 24–5 (82.8%) ATP match win–loss record in the 2021 season. His record against players who were part of the ATP rankings Top Ten at the time of their meetings is 4–4 (50.0%). Bold indicates player was ranked top 10 at the time of at least one meeting. The following list is ordered by number of wins:
# | Player | Rank | Event | Surface | Rd | Score | RNR |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1/175. | Stefanos Tsitsipas | 5 | Barcelona, Spain | Clay | F | 6–4, 6–7(6–8), 7–5 | 3 |
2/176. | Alexander Zverev | 6 | Rome, Italy | Clay | QF | 6–3, 6–4 | 3 |
3/177. | Novak Djokovic | 1 | Rome, Italy | Clay | F | 7–5, 1–6, 6–3 | 3 |
4/178. | Diego Schwartzman | 10 | French Open, Paris, France | Clay | QF | 6–3, 4–6, 6–4, 6–0 | 3 |
|
|
|
Result | W–L | Date | Tournament | Tier | Surface | Opponent | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Win | 1–0 | Apr 2021 | Barcelona Open, Spain** (12) | 500 Series | Clay | Stefanos Tsitsipas | 6–4, 6–7(6–8), 7–5 |
Win | 2–0 | May 2021 | Italian Open, Italy** (10) | Masters 1000 | Clay | Novak Djokovic | 7–5, 1–6, 6–3 |
(**) signifies tournaments where Nadal won the title after saving at least one match point.
Singles | ||
Event | Prize money | Year-to-date |
---|---|---|
Australian Open | A$525,000 | $360,832 |
Monte-Carlo Masters | €46,500 | $416,144 |
Barcelona Open | €178,985 | $629,046 |
Madrid Open | €58,370 | $699,195 |
Italian Open | €245,085 | $997,268 |
French Open | €375,000 | $1,454,432 |
Washington Open | $24,400 | $1,478,832 |
$1,478,832 | ||
Total | ||
$1,478,832 | ||
Figures in United States dollars (USD) unless noted.
At the Barcelona Open, Nadal's semifinals match versus Pablo Carreño Busta averaged 773,000 viewers on RTVE's La 1 and 115,000 on #Vamos. The final match versus Stefanos Tsitsipas averaged 1.5 million viewers on La 1 (equivalent to a 11.3% share), 87,000 on #Vamos and 68,000 on Movistar Deportes. [11] [12] [13] [14]
At the Madrid Open, his quarter-finals match versus Alexander Zverev averaged 447,000 viewers on Teledeporte. [15]
At the Italian Open, his final match versus Novak Djokovic averaged 363,00 viewers on #Vamos. [16]
Dominic Thiem is an Austrian professional tennis player. He has been ranked as high as world No. 3 in singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals, which he first achieved in March 2020. Thiem has won 17 ATP Tour singles titles, including a Grand Slam title at the 2020 US Open where he came back from two sets down to defeat Alexander Zverev in the final. With the win, Thiem became the first male player born in the 1990s to claim a Major singles title, as well as the first Austrian to win the US Open singles title. He had previously reached three other Major finals, finishing runner-up at the 2018 and 2019 French Opens to Rafael Nadal, and at the 2020 Australian Open to Novak Djokovic. Thiem was also runner-up at the 2019 and 2020 ATP Finals, where he lost to Stefanos Tsitsipas and Daniil Medvedev, respectively.As a junior, Thiem was ranked as high as world No. 2. He was runner-up at the 2011 French Open boys tournament, and won the 2011 Orange Bowl. As a professional, he broke into the top 100 for the first time in 2014. In 2015, he won his first ATP title at the 2015 Open de Nice Côte d'Azur in France. The next year he reached his first major semifinal at the 2016 French Open. In doing so, he first entered the top ten of the world rankings. He went on to reach his first Masters 1000 final in 2017 at the Madrid Open, before reaching his first major final the following year. Thiem won his maiden Masters 1000 title at the 2019 Indian Wells Masters, beating Roger Federer in the final.Thiem has some of the heaviest groundstrokes of the tour, consistently hitting big with both his forehand and single-handed backhand. Generally thought of as a baseliner, he has added more variety with the use of a sliced backhand and more netplay since adding coach Nicolás Massú to his team in March 2019. At 1.85 m, he possesses a serve reaching up to 145 miles per hour (233 km/h), which he often uses to set up effective one-two punches. Thiem won the 2020 Austrian Sportsman of the Year award, the fourth time a tennis player has won the award since its creation in 1949.
Daniil Sergeyevich Medvedev is a Russian professional tennis player. He has been ranked as high as world No. 1 in men's singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals, holding the ranking for a total of 16 weeks. As of December 19, 2023, ranked world No. 3 in singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), Medvedev has won 20 ATP Tour singles titles, including the 2021 US Open and 2020 ATP Finals. In the former, Medvedev defeated then-world No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the final to deny him the Grand Slam. In the latter, he became the first and only player to defeat the top three ranked players in the world en route to the year-end championship title. He has also won six Masters titles, and contested five major finals. His six Masters titles all came in different venues, making him only the sixth player to win Masters titles at six different venues. Medvedev made his ATP Tour main draw debut at the singles event of the 2015 Kremlin Cup. In 2017, he participated in a major for the first time at Wimbledon, where he defeated world No. 3 Stan Wawrinka. In 2018, Medvedev won his first ATP Tour singles titles at Sydney and Winston-Salem, and his first ATP 500 title in Tokyo. He achieved a breakthrough in 2019, making his top 10 debut after Wimbledon and reaching six consecutive tournament finals, including at the US Open. In February 2022, Medvedev became the first man outside of the Big Three to hold the world No. 1 ranking since Andy Murray, the third Russian man following Yevgeny Kafelnikov in 1999 and Marat Safin in 2000, and the 27th man overall.
Stefanos Tsitsipas is a Greek professional tennis player. He has been ranked as high as world No. 3 by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), which he first achieved on 9 August 2021, making him the highest-ranked Greek player in history alongside Maria Sakkari.
The 2018 Novak Djokovic tennis season started with the Tie Break Tens event in Melbourne, Australia.
The 2018 Rafael Nadal tennis season officially began on 15 January 2018, with the start of the Australian Open, and ended on 8 September 2018, with a loss at the semifinals of the US Open and subsequent injury.
The 2019 ATP Finals (also known as the 2019 Nitto ATP Finals for sponsorship reasons) was a men's tennis tournament played at the O2 Arena on indoor hard courts in London, United Kingdom, from 10 to 17 November 2019. It was the season-ending event for the highest-ranked singles players and doubles teams on the 2019 ATP Tour and was the 50th edition of the tournament (45th in doubles). The singles event was won by Stefanos Tsitsipas over Dominic Thiem in three sets. In doubles, Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut defeated Raven Klaasen and Michael Venus in straight sets.
Novak Djokovic defeated Rafael Nadal in the final, 6–3, 6–2, 6–3 to win the men's singles tennis title at the 2019 Australian Open. It was his record-breaking seventh Australian Open title and 15th major title overall, surpassing Pete Sampras for third place on the all-time list. Djokovic and Nadal were also in contention for the world No. 1 singles ranking; Djokovic retained the top ranking by reaching the fourth round. Nadal attempted to become the first man in the Open Era to achieve a double career Grand Slam.
The 2019 Novak Djokovic tennis season officially began on 1 January 2019, in the first round of the Qatar Open, and ended 22 November 2019 after Serbia defeat by Russia in the quarterfinals of the Davis Cup Finals.
The 2019 Rafael Nadal tennis season officially began on 14 January 2019, with the start of the Australian Open, and ended 24 November 2019 after Spain's victory at the conclusion of the Davis Cup Finals.
Stefanos Tsitsipas defeated Dominic Thiem in the final, 6–7(6–8), 6–2, 7–6(7–4) to win the singles tennis title at the 2019 ATP Finals. Tsitsipas was making his tournament debut. It marked the first instance since 2005, and only the fourth instance overall, that the Tour Finals champion was determined via a final-set tiebreak.
The 2020 Rafael Nadal tennis season officially began on 3 January 2020, in the first round at the inaugural 2020 ATP Cup Group B venues in Perth.
Dominic Thiem defeated Alexander Zverev in the final, 2–6, 4–6, 6–4, 6–3, 7–6(8–6) to win the men's singles tennis title at the 2020 US Open. It was his first major title, following three previous runner-up finishes. Thiem became the first man to come back from two sets down in a US Open final in the Open Era, the first to do so overall since 1949, and the first to do so in any major final since Gastón Gaudio at the 2004 French Open. Both players served for the championship in the final set, but both were broken at 30. This was the first time in history that the US Open title was decided by a fifth set tie-break, 50 years after the rule was introduced in 1970.
Daniil Medvedev defeated Dominic Thiem in the final, 4–6, 7–6(7–2), 6–4 to win the singles tennis title at the 2020 ATP Finals. Medvedev became the fourth man to defeat the world's top-three ranked players en route to a title.
The 2021 Novak Djokovic tennis season is considered one of Djokovic's best. It saw him become the second man in tennis history to achieve the Surface Slam following Rafael Nadal in 2010, and repeat his feat from 2015 of reaching all four major finals in a season. He won five tournaments, three of them majors: the Australian Open, the French Open, and the Wimbledon Championships. Djokovic reached the final of the US Open in an attempt to achieve the Grand Slam, but finished runner-up to Daniil Medvedev. He also won the Paris Masters and Belgrade Open, and reached his first final in a doubles tournament since 2010 at the Mallorca Open.
Novak Djokovic defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final, 6–7(6–8), 2–6, 6–3, 6–2, 6–4 to win the men's singles tennis title at the 2021 French Open. It was his second French Open title and 19th major title overall. With the win, he became the first man to achieve the double career Grand Slam in the Open Era, and the first player in the Open Era to win a major after coming back from two sets to love down in two matches during the same major. Tsitsipas became the first Greek player to reach a major final. It also marked the second consecutive year a man trailed by two sets in a major final yet rallied to win, following Dominic Thiem's victory at the 2020 US Open.
The 2022 Rafael Nadal tennis season officially began on 3 January 2022, with the start of the ATP 250 tournament in Melbourne. It includes Nadal's best start to an ATP Tour season, when he won his first 20 matches in a row. It was also his career-first season winning the first two majors of the year, hence completing the Australian-French title double. As such, Nadal broke his tie with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, and became the first man in history to win a total 21, and 22 Grand Slam singles titles.
Rafael Nadal defeated Casper Ruud in the final, 6–3, 6–3, 6–0 to win the men's singles tennis title at the 2022 French Open. It was his record-extending 14th French Open title and record-extending 22nd major title overall. It marked the first time in his career that he won the Australian Open and the French Open in the same calendar year. Nadal also became the third man to defeat four top 10 players en route to a major title since the introduction of ATP rankings in 1973. Ruud became the first Norwegian man to reach a major quarterfinal and beyond, and the first Scandinavian man to do so since Robin Söderling in 2010.
Rafael Nadal defeated Cameron Norrie in the final, 6–4, 6–4 to win the singles title at the 2022 Mexican Open. Nadal did not drop a set during a tournament for a record-extending 30th time. It was his fourth Acapulco title and 91st career singles title overall.
Novak Djokovic defeated Casper Ruud in the final, 7–5, 6–3 to win the singles tennis title at the 2022 ATP Finals. It was his sixth Tour Finals title, equaling Roger Federer's record. He became the oldest singles champion in tournament history at 35 years old and also claimed the biggest prize check in tennis history at $4,740,300. Djokovic also set the longest time gap between a player's first to most recent Tour Finals titles, at 14 years, and became the first player to win Tour Finals titles in three different decades.
Novak Djokovic defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final, 6–3, 7–6(7–4), 7–6(7–5) to win the men's singles tennis title at the 2023 Australian Open. It was his record-extending tenth Australian Open title and 22nd major title overall, tying Rafael Nadal for the all-time record of most Grand Slam men's singles titles won. He also became the second man to win double-digit titles at a single major, after Nadal at the French Open. Djokovic lost just one set en route to the title, and extended his match winning-streak at the Australian Open to an Open Era record 28 matches.