2022 Rafael Nadal tennis season

Last updated
2022 Rafael Nadal tennis season
Full name Rafael Nadal Parera
CountryFlag of Spain.svg  Spain
Calendar prize money$9,368,326 [1]
Singles
Season record39–8 (83.0%)
Calendar titles4
Year-end rankingNo. 2
Ranking change from previous yearIncrease2.svg 4
Grand Slam & significant results
Australian Open W
French Open W
Wimbledon SF (withdrew)
US Open 4R
Doubles
Season record1–1 (50.0%)
Current rankingNo. 1159
Ranking change from previous yearDecrease2.svg 648
Injuries
InjuriesStress fracture to rib Abdominal tear
2021
2023

The 2022 Rafael Nadal tennis season officially began on 3 January 2022, with the start of the ATP 250 tournament in Melbourne. [2] [3] It includes Nadal's best start to an ATP Tour season, when he won his first 20 matches (and three titles, including the Australian Open) 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 (after winning the 2022 Australian Open), and 22 (after winning the 2022 French Open) Grand Slam singles titles.

Contents

Yearly summary

Early hard court season

Melbourne Summer Set 1

Rafael Nadal won his 89th ATP singles title at Melbourne Summer Set 1 without dropping a set en route, defeating qualifier Maxime Cressy in the final.

Australian Open

Nadal won his second Australian Open title and 21st men's singles major title overall, surpassing an all-time record he jointly held with Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer. Nadal defeated Denis Shapovalov and Matteo Berrettini en route to the final, where he outlasted Daniil Medvedev in five hours and 24 minutes. Nadal was down two sets, and serving at 2-3 0-40 in the third, eventually winning 2-6 6-7(5-7) 6-4 6-4 7-5. It was Nadal's 90th ATP title, and he became the second man in the Open Era, after Djokovic, to achieve the double career Grand Slam.

Mexican Open

Nadal stormed to the title in high form, not dropping a set in any of his five matches (including a win over Medvedev, who earlier that week had clinched the world No. 1 ranking). He beat Cameron Norrie in the final to win his third title of the year and extend his unbeaten streak for the season to 15-0, his career-best start to an ATP Tour season.

Indian Wells Masters

Nadal reached the final for a fifth time after beating Sebastian Korda, Daniel Evans, Reilly Opelka, Nick Kyrgios and compatriot Carlos Alcaraz. He then lost in the final to Taylor Fritz, ending his 20 match winning streak, which marks his career-best start to a season.

Clay court season

Nadal missed the Monte Carlo Masters and the Barcelona Open citing a rib injury sustained in the Indian Wells final. It was the first time in his career that he was forced to miss Monte Carlo and Barcelona where he has won 11 and 12 titles respectively.

Madrid Open

Nadal returned to play in Madrid. In his first match he beat Miomir Kecmanović, then saved 4 match points to beat David Goffin to reach the quarterfinals, where he was defeated by eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz in three sets.

Italian Open

Nadal returned to Rome as the defending champion, and defeated John Isner in straight sets in the second round. Nadal faced physical pain during his third round encounter with Denis Shapovalov due to his prevailing chronic foot injury, and lost in three sets.

French Open

Nadal won his 14th French Open title and a record-extending 22nd men's singles major title overall. He defeated four Top-10 players en route to the title; Félix Auger-Aliassime (fourth round), Novak Djokovic (quarterfinals), Alexander Zverev (semifinals), and Casper Ruud (final). Nadal completed the Australian–French double for the first time in his career, and became one of five men to do so in the Open Era. Nadal also became the oldest singles champion (36 years 2 days) in the history of the French Open.

Grass court season

Wimbledon

After treating his foot injury, Nadal returned to Wimbledon for the first time in three years. However, he tore an abdominal muscle during the tournament, which was aggravated after his quarterfinal match against Taylor Fritz. Despite winning the encounter, Nadal withdrew from the tournament the following day. [4]

North American hard court season

Cincinnati Masters

Nadal returned to the Cincinnati Masters in his first match since facing an abdominal muscle tear at Wimbledon, however lost to the eventual-champion Borna Ćorić in the opening round.

US Open

Nadal returned to the US Open after not playing for 3 years and had his first hard court match since Cincinnati. He beat Rinky Hijikata in the first round, Fabio Fognini in the second round and Richard Gasquet in the third round. In the fourth round Nadal lost to Frances Tiafoe, ending his bid of a 3rd major in 2022.

Laver Cup

Nadal participated at the Laver Cup in London. He played just one doubles match, alongside longtime friend and rival Roger Federer in what was Federer's final professional tennis match. The pair lost to Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe 11-9 in the final set tiebreak, despite holding a match point on Federer's serve. Team World went on to claim their first Laver Cup title.

Indoor Swing

Paris Masters

Nadal returned to the Paris Masters after not playing for 2 years, however lost to Tommy Paul in the opening round.

ATP Finals

On October 24, Nadal confirmed his participation at the ATP Finals in Turin. He lost his opening matches to Taylor Fritz and Félix Auger-Aliassime in straight sets. He went on beat Casper Ruud, but he failed to advance to the semifinals.

All matches

This table chronicles all the matches of Rafael Nadal in 2022.

Key
W F SFQF#RRRQ#P#DNQAZ#POGSBNMSNTIPNH
(W) winner; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (P#) preliminary round; (DNQ) did not qualify; (A) absent; (Z#) Davis/Fed Cup Zonal Group (with number indication) or (PO) play-off; (G) gold, (S) silver or (B) bronze Olympic/Paralympic medal; (NMS) not a Masters tournament; (NTI) not a Tier I tournament; (P) postponed; (NH) not held; (SR) strike rate (events won / competed); (W–L) win–loss record.
To avoid confusion and double counting, these charts are updated at the conclusion of a tournament or when the player's participation has ended.

Singles matches

TournamentMatchRoundOpponent (seed or key)RankResultScore
Melbourne Summer Set
Melbourne, Australia
ATP Tour 250
Hard, outdoor
3 – 9 January 2022
1RBye
1 / 12382R Flag of Lithuania.svg Ričardas Berankis (Q)104Win6–2, 7–5
QF Flag of the Netherlands.svg Tallon Griekspoor 64W/ON/A
2 / 1239SF Flag of Finland.svg Emil Ruusuvuori (Alt.)95Win6–4, 7–5
3 / 1240W Flag of the United States.svg Maxime Cressy (Q)112Win (1)7–6(8–6), 6–3
Australian Open
Melbourne, Australia
Grand Slam tournament
Hard, outdoor
17 – 30 January 2022
4 / 12411R Flag of the United States.svg Marcos Giron 66Win6–1, 6–4, 6–2
5 / 12422R Flag of Germany.svg Yannick Hanfmann (Q)126Win6–2, 6–3, 6–4
6 / 12433R Flag of Russia.svg Karen Khachanov (28)30Win6–3, 6–2, 3–6, 6–1
7 / 12444R Flag of France.svg Adrian Mannarino 69Win7–6(16–14), 6–2, 6–2
8 / 1245QF Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Denis Shapovalov (14)14Win6–3, 6–4, 4–6, 3–6, 6–3
9 / 1246SF Flag of Italy.svg Matteo Berrettini (7)7Win6–3, 6–2, 3–6, 6–3
10 / 1247W Flag of Russia.svg Daniil Medvedev (2)2Win (2) 2–6, 6–7(5–7), 6–4, 6–4, 7–5
Mexican Open
Acapulco, Mexico
ATP Tour 500
Hard, outdoor
21 – 26 February 2022
11 / 12481R Flag of the United States.svg Denis Kudla (LL)100Win6–3, 6–2
12 / 12492R Flag of the United States.svg Stefan Kozlov (LL)130Win6–0, 6–3
13 / 1250QF Flag of the United States.svg Tommy Paul 39Win6–0, 7–6(7–5)
14 / 1251SF Flag of Russia.svg Daniil Medvedev (1)2Win6–3, 6–3
15 / 1252W Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Cameron Norrie (6)12Win (3)6–4, 6–4
Indian Wells Masters
Indian Wells, United States
ATP Tour Masters 1000
Hard, outdoor
10 – 20 March 2022
1RBye
16 / 12532R Flag of the United States.svg Sebastian Korda 38Win6–2, 1–6, 7–6(7–3)
17 / 12543R Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Dan Evans (27)28Win7–5, 6–3
18 / 12554R Flag of the United States.svg Reilly Opelka (17)17Win7–6(7–3), 7–6(7–5)
19 / 1256QF Flag of Australia (converted).svg Nick Kyrgios (WC)132Win7–6(7–0), 5–7, 6–4
20 / 1257SF Flag of Spain.svg Carlos Alcaraz (19)19Win6–4, 4–6, 6–3
21 / 1258F Flag of the United States.svg Taylor Fritz (20)20Loss3–6, 6–7(5–7)
Madrid Open
Madrid, Spain
ATP Tour Masters 1000
Clay, outdoor
2 – 8 May 2022
1RBye
22 / 12592R Flag of Serbia.svg Miomir Kecmanović 32Win6–1, 7–6(7–4)
23 / 12603R Flag of Belgium (civil).svg David Goffin (Q)60Win6–3, 5–7, 7–6(11–9)
24 / 1261QF Flag of Spain.svg Carlos Alcaraz (7)9Loss2–6, 6–1, 3–6
Italian Open
Rome, Italy
ATP Tour Masters 1000
Clay, outdoor
8 – 15 May 2022
1RBye
25 / 12622R Flag of the United States.svg John Isner 27Win6–3, 6–1
26 / 12633R Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Denis Shapovalov (13)16Loss6–1, 5–7, 2–6
French Open
Paris, France
Grand Slam tournament
Clay, outdoor
22 May – 5 June 2022
27 / 12641R Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jordan Thompson 82Win6–2, 6–2, 6–2
28 / 12652R Flag of France.svg Corentin Moutet (WC)139Win6–3, 6–1, 6–4
29 / 12663R Flag of the Netherlands.svg Botic van de Zandschulp (26)29Win6–3, 6–2, 6–4
30 / 12674R Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Félix Auger-Aliassime (9)9Win3–6, 6–3, 6–2, 3–6, 6–3
31 / 1268QF Flag of Serbia.svg Novak Djokovic (1)1Win6–2, 4–6, 6–2, 7–6(7–4)
32 / 1269SF Flag of Germany.svg Alexander Zverev (3)3Win7–6(10–8), 6–6(0–0), ret.
33 / 1270W Flag of Norway.svg Casper Ruud (8)8Win (4)6–3, 6–3, 6–0
Wimbledon Championships
London, United Kingdom
Grand Slam tournament
Grass, outdoor
27 June – 10 July 2022
34 / 12711R Flag of Argentina.svg Francisco Cerúndolo 41Win6–4, 6–3, 3–6, 6–4
35 / 12722R Flag of Lithuania.svg Ričardas Berankis 106Win6–4, 6–4, 4–6, 6–3
36 / 12733R Flag of Italy.svg Lorenzo Sonego (27)54Win6–1, 6–2, 6–4
37 / 12744R Flag of the Netherlands.svg Botic van de Zandschulp (21)25Win6–4, 6–2, 7–6(8–6)
38 / 1275QF Flag of the United States.svg Taylor Fritz (11)14Win3–6, 7–5, 3–6, 7–5, 7–6(10–4)
SF Flag of Australia (converted).svg Nick Kyrgios 40walkoverN/A
Cincinnati Masters
Cincinnati, United States
ATP Tour Masters 1000
Hard, outdoor
14 – 21 August 2022
1RBye
39 / 12762R Flag of Croatia.svg Borna Ćorić (PR)152Loss6–7(9–11), 6–4, 3–6
US Open
New York City, United States
Grand Slam tournament
Hard, outdoor
29 August – 11 September 2022
40 / 12771R Flag of Australia (converted).svg Rinky Hijikata (WC)198Win4–6, 6–2, 6–3, 6–3
41 / 12782R Flag of Italy.svg Fabio Fognini 60Win2–6, 6–4, 6–2, 6–1
42 / 12793R Flag of France.svg Richard Gasquet 91Win6–0, 6–1, 7–5
43 / 12804R Flag of the United States.svg Frances Tiafoe (22)26Loss4–6, 6–4, 4–6, 3–6
Paris Masters
Paris, France
ATP Tour Masters 1000
Hard, indoor
31 October – 6 November 2022
1RBye
44 / 12812R Flag of the United States.svg Tommy Paul 31Loss6–3, 6–7(4–7), 1–6
ATP Finals
Turin, Italy
ATP Finals
Hard, indoor
13 – 20 November 2022
45 / 1282RR Flag of the United States.svg Taylor Fritz (8)9Loss6–7(3–7), 1–6
46 / 1283RR Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Félix Auger-Aliassime (5)6Loss3–6, 4–6
47 / 1284RR Flag of Norway.svg Casper Ruud (3)4Win7–5, 7–5

Doubles matches

TournamentMatchRoundOpponents (seed or key)RanksResultScore
Melbourne Summer Set
Melbourne, Australia
ATP Tour 250
Hard, outdoor
3 – 9 January 2022
Partner: Flag of Spain.svg Jaume Munar
1 / 2121R Flag of Argentina.svg Sebastián Báez / Flag of Argentina.svg Tomás Martín Etcheverry (Alt.)886 / 281Win6–3, 3–6, [10–4]
2R Flag of Kazakhstan.svg Andrey Golubev / Flag of Croatia.svg Franko Škugor (4)28 / 53WithdrewN/A
Laver Cup
London, United Kingdom
Laver Cup
Hard, indoor
23 – 25 September 2022
Partner: Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Roger Federer
2 / 213Day 1 Flag of the United States.svg Jack Sock / Flag of the United States.svg Frances Tiafoe 43 / 220Loss6–4, 6–72–7, [9–11]


Exhibition matches

Singles

TournamentMatchRoundOpponent (seed or key)RankResultScore
Mubadala World Tennis Championship
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Hard, outdoor
16 – 18 December 2021

[5] [6]

QFBye
1SF Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Andy Murray 134Loss3–6, 5–7
2PO Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Denis Shapovalov 14Loss7–6(7–4), 3–6, [6–10]
Hurlingham Tennis Classic
London, United Kingdom

Grass, outdoor
22 – 24 June 2022
3PO Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Stan Wawrinka 267Win6–2, 6–3
4PO Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Félix Auger-Aliassime 9Loss6–7(6–8), 6–4, [3–10]

Schedule

Per Rafael Nadal, this is his current 2022 schedule (subject to change). [7]

Singles schedule

DateTournamentLocationTierSurfacePrev.
result
Prev.
points
New
points
Result
4 January 2022–
9 January 2022
Melbourne Summer Set Melbourne (AUS) 250 Series HardN/AN/A250Champion (defeated Flag of the United States.svg Maxime Cressy, 7–6(8–6), 6–3)
17 January 2022–
30 January 2022
Australian Open Melbourne (AUS) Grand Slam HardQF3602000Champion (defeated Flag of Russia.svg Daniil Medvedev, 2–6, 6–7(5–7), 6–4, 6–4, 7–5)
21 February 2022–
26 February 2022
Mexican Open Acapulco (MEX) 500 Series HardW0 (500 [lower-alpha 1] )500Champion (defeated Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Cameron Norrie, 6–4, 6–4)
10 March 2022–
20 March 2022
Indian Wells Masters Indian Wells (USA) Masters 1000 HardA0600Final (lost to Flag of the United States.svg Taylor Fritz, 3–6, 6–7(5–7))
10 April 2022–
17 April 2022
Monte-Carlo Masters Roquebrune-Cap-Martin (FRA)Masters 1000ClayQF180 (180 [lower-alpha 2] )0Withdrew
18 April 2022–
24 April 2022
Barcelona Open Barcelona (ESP)500 SeriesClayW5000
2 May 2022–
8 May 2022
Madrid Open Madrid (ESP)Masters 1000ClayQF180 (180 [lower-alpha 2] )180Quarterfinals (lost to Flag of Spain.svg Carlos Alcaraz, 2–6, 6–1, 3–6)
8 May 2022–
15 May 2022
Italian Open Rome (ITA)Masters 1000ClayW100090Third round (lost to Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Denis Shapovalov, 6–1, 5–7, 2–6)
22 May 2022–
5 June 2022
French Open Paris (FRA)Grand SlamClaySF720 (1000 [lower-alpha 2] )2000Champion (defeated Flag of Norway.svg Casper Ruud, 6–3, 6–3, 6–0)
27 June 2022–
10 July 2022
Wimbledon London (GBR)Grand SlamGrassA0 (360 [lower-alpha 2] )0 [lower-alpha 3] Semifinals (withdrew due to an abdominal tear)
14 August 2022–
21 August 2022
Cincinnati Masters Cincinnati (USA)Masters 1000HardA010Second round (lost to Flag of Croatia.svg Borna Ćorić, 6–7(9–11), 6–4, 3–6)
29 August 2022–
11 September 2022
US Open New York (USA)Grand SlamHardA0180Fourth round (lost to Flag of the United States.svg Frances Tiafoe, 4–6, 6–4, 4–6, 3–6)
31 October 2022–
6 November 2022
Paris Masters Paris (FRA)Masters 1000Hard (i)N/A010Second round (lost to Flag of the United States.svg Tommy Paul, 6–3, 6–7(4–7), 1–6)
13 November 2022–
20 November 2022
ATP Finals Turin (ITA) Tour Finals Hard (i)N/AN/A200Round robin (1 win – 2 losses)
Total year-end points48756020Increase2.svg1145difference

Yearly records

Head-to-head matchups

Rafael Nadal has a 39–8 (83.0%) ATP match win–loss record in the 2022 season. His record against players who were part of the ATP rankings Top Ten at the time of their meetings is 8–3 (72.7%). Bold indicates player was ranked top 10 at the time of at least one meeting. The following list is ordered by number of wins:

* Statistics correct as of 17 November 2022.

Top 10 wins

Category
Grand Slam (6)
ATP Finals (1)
Masters 1000 (0)
500 Series (1)
250 Series (0)
Wins by surface
Hard (4)
Clay (4)
Grass (0)
Wins by setting
Outdoor (7)
Indoor (1)
#PlayerRankEventSurfaceRdScoreRNR
1/179 Flag of Italy.svg Matteo Berrettini 7 Australian Open, Melbourne, AustraliaHardSF6–3, 6–2, 3–6, 6–35
2/180 Flag of Russia.svg Daniil Medvedev 2Australian Open, Melbourne, AustraliaHardF 2–6, 6–7(5–7), 6–4, 6–4, 7–5 5
3/181 Flag of Russia.svg Daniil Medvedev2 Acapulco, MexicoHardSF6–3, 6–35
4/182 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Félix Auger-Aliassime 9 French Open, Paris, FranceClay4R3–6, 6–3, 6–2, 3–6, 6–35
5/183 Flag of Serbia.svg Novak Djokovic 1French Open, Paris, FranceClayQF6–2, 4–6, 6–2, 7–6(7–4)5
6/184 Flag of Germany.svg Alexander Zverev 3French Open, Paris, FranceClaySF7–6(10–8), 6–6, ret.5
7/185 Flag of Norway.svg Casper Ruud 7French Open, Paris, FranceClayF6–3, 6–3, 6–05
8/186 Flag of Norway.svg Casper Ruud4 ATP Finals, Turin, ItalyHard (i)RR7–5, 7–52

Finals

Singles: 5 (4 titles, 1 runner-up)

Category
Grand Slam (2–0)
ATP Finals (0–0)
Masters 1000 (0–1)
500 Series (1–0)
250 Series (1–0)
Titles by surface
Hard (3–1)
Clay (1–0)
Grass (0–0)
Titles by setting
Outdoor (4–1)
Indoor (0–0)
ResultW–L   Date   TournamentTierSurfaceOpponentScore
Win1–0 Jan 2022 Melbourne Summer Set, Australia*250 SeriesHard Flag of the United States.svg Maxime Cressy 7–6(8–6), 6–3
Win2–0 Jan 2022 Australian Open, Australia (2)Grand SlamHard Flag of Russia.svg Daniil Medvedev 2–6, 6–7(5–7), 6–4, 6–4, 7–5
Win3–0 Feb 2022 Mexican Open, Mexico* (4)500 SeriesHard Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Cameron Norrie 6–4, 6–4
Loss3–1 Mar 2022 Indian Wells Masters, USMasters 1000Hard Flag of the United States.svg Taylor Fritz 3–6, 6–7(5–7)
Win4–1 Jun 2022 French Open, France (14)Grand SlamClay Flag of Norway.svg Casper Ruud 6–3, 6–3, 6–0

(*) signifies tournaments where Nadal won the title without dropping a set.

Earnings

Singles
EventPrize moneyYear-to-date
Melbourne Summer Set $87,370$87,370
Australian Open $2,875,000$2,158,520
Mexican Open $314,455$2,472,975
Indian Wells Masters $646,110$3,119,085
Madrid Open €169,650$3,297,913
Italian Open €72,865$3,374,727
French Open €2,200,000$5,718,608
Wimbledon Championships £535,000$6,375,266
Cincinnati Masters $45,315$6,420,581
US Open $278,000$6,698,581
Paris Masters €39,070$6,737,506
ATP Finals $703,300$7,440,806
Bonus pool$1,926,250$9,367,056
$9,367,056
Doubles
EventPrize moneyYear-to-date
Melbourne Summer Set $1,270$1,270
$1,270
Total
$9,368,326

Figures in United States dollars (USD) unless noted.

Historic achievements

TournamentSinceRecord accomplishedPlayers matchedDate achieved
Grand Slam 1877 22 men's Grand Slam singles titles Stands alone 6 June
1905 Double Career Grand Slam Roy Emerson
Rod Laver
Novak Djokovic
30 January
Australian Open 1968Longest gap between subsequent titles, 13 years (2009-2022)Stands alone
Won final from two sets downStands alone
French Open 189114 men's singles titlesStands alone6 June
14 finalsStands alone4 June
15 semifinalsStands alone1 June
6 consecutive semifinalsNovak Djokovic
16 quarterfinalsNovak Djokovic
Most match wins at a single major (112 at the French Open)Stands alone
Oldest singles champion (36 years 2 days)Stands alone6 June
Mexican Open 1993Most titles (4) David Ferrer
Thomas Muster
27 February
Most finals (5)David Ferrer
ATP Tour 1970Most titles won without losing a set (30)Stands alone
ATP 500 2009Most match wins (117)Stands alone
Masters 1000 1990Most match wins (406)Stands alone14 March

Personal bests

See also

Notes

  1. Points carried over due to the Best of 24-month ranking being extended through and including the week of 1 March 2021. [8]
  2. 1 2 3 4 Points carried over due to the Best of 24-month ranking being used for events between 4 March – 5 August 2019, that were not played in 2020, but weighted at 50%. [8]
  3. Removal Of ATP Rankings Points From 2022 Wimbledon. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stefanos Tsitsipas</span> Greek tennis player (born 1998)

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 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.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 Rafael Nadal tennis season</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles</span> 2019 tennis event results

Defending champion Novak Djokovic defeated Roger Federer in the final, 7–6(7–5), 1–6, 7–6(7–4), 4–6, 13–12(7–3) to win the gentlemen's singles tennis title at the 2019 Wimbledon Championships. At four hours and 57 minutes in length, it was the longest singles final in Wimbledon history. It was Djokovic's fifth Wimbledon title and 16th major title overall. Djokovic became the first man since Bob Falkenburg in 1948 to win the title after being championship points down, having saved two when down 7–8 in the fifth set. This was the first time since the 2004 French Open that a man saved championship points in order to win a major. Djokovic became the second man and third singles player overall to win multiple major titles after saving match point during the tournament, after Rod Laver and Serena Williams. Conversely, this was the third time that an opponent of Federer saved match points and went on to win the major, following Marat Safin in the 2005 Australian Open and Djokovic in the 2011 US Open.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carlos Alcaraz</span> Spanish tennis player (born 2003)

Carlos Alcaraz Garfia is a Spanish professional tennis player. He has been ranked as high as world No. 1 in men's singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), and is the current world No. 3. Alcaraz has won thirteen ATP Tour-level singles titles, including two major titles and five Masters 1000 titles. Following his win at the 2022 US Open, Alcaraz became the youngest man and the first teenager in the Open Era to top the singles rankings, at 19 years, 4 months, and 6 days old.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big Three (tennis)</span> Common tennis term for Djokovic, Federer, and Nadal trio

The Big Three is a common nickname in tennis for the trio of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, each considered to be among the greatest players of all time. The trio have dominated men's singles tennis for two decades, collectively winning 66 major singles tournaments; Djokovic leads with an all-time record of 24 titles, followed by Nadal with 22 and Federer with 20. They have been ranked as world No. 1s in singles for a total of 943 weeks ; Djokovic for a record 424 weeks, Federer for 310, and Nadal for 209. One of the three finished the season as the year-end No. 1 player every year from 2004 to 2023, with the exceptions of 2016 and 2022. They collectively occupied the top-three positions of the year-end ATP rankings eight times; in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2018, and 2019.

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 this victory, 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.

Two-time defending champion Novak Djokovic defeated Matteo Berrettini in the final, 6–7(4–7), 6–4, 6–4, 6–3 to win the gentlemen's singles tennis title at the 2021 Wimbledon Championships. It was his sixth Wimbledon title and 20th major title overall, tying Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal's all-time record total of men's singles titles.

Daniil Medvedev defeated Novak Djokovic in the final, 6–4, 6–4, 6–4 to win the men's singles tennis title at the 2021 US Open. It was his first major title. Medvedev became the third Russian man, after Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Marat Safin, to win a major singles title, and the first to do so since Safin at the 2005 Australian Open. He lost just one set during the tournament, against Botic van de Zandschulp in the quarterfinals. Djokovic was aiming to become the second man in the Open Era, after Rod Laver in 1969, to complete the Grand Slam. He was also attempting to win an outright record 21st major singles title and surpass his Big Three counterparts, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. By reaching the final, Djokovic tied Federer's record of 31 men's singles major finals contested, and repeated his 2015 achievement of contesting the maximum-possible 28 major singles matches in a season. This marked Djokovic's record sixth runner-up finish at the event.

Rafael Nadal defeated Daniil Medvedev in the final, 2–6, 6–7(5–7), 6–4, 6–4, 7–5 to win the men's singles tennis title at the 2022 Australian Open. It was his second Australian Open title and 21st major singles title overall, surpassing the all-time record he had jointly held with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. Nadal became the fourth man, after Roy Emerson, Rod Laver, and Djokovic, to achieve the double career Grand Slam, and the second in the Open Era. He also became the first man in the Open Era to win an Australian Open final after losing the first two sets. This marked the third consecutive year a man trailed by two sets in a major final yet rallied to win, following Djokovic's two-set comeback at the 2021 French Open and Dominic Thiem's at the 2020 US Open.

The 2022 Novak Djokovic tennis season officially began on 21 February 2022, with the start of the Dubai Tennis Championships. During this season, Djokovic:

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.

Three-time defending champion Novak Djokovic defeated Nick Kyrgios in the final, 4–6, 6–3, 6–4, 7–6(7–3) to win the gentlemen's singles tennis title at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships. It was his seventh Wimbledon title and 21st major singles title overall. Djokovic became the fifth man in the Open Era to record a streak of at least four consecutive titles at one major. By reaching his 32nd men's singles major final, he surpassed Roger Federer's all-time record. Djokovic also became the first player to win 80 matches at all four majors with his first-round win over Kwon Soon-woo. Because no ranking points were awarded for the tournament in response to its banning of Russian and Belarusian players, Djokovic dropped out of the top five in ATP rankings after winning the tournament.

Carlos Alcaraz defeated Casper Ruud in the final, 6–4, 2–6, 7–6(7–1), 6–3 to win the men's singles tennis title at the 2022 US Open. It was his first major title. He claimed the world No. 1 singles ranking with the win; Ruud, Rafael Nadal, Daniil Medvedev, and Stefanos Tsitsipas were also in contention for the top position. Alcaraz saved a match point en route to the title, in the quarterfinals against Jannik Sinner. Alcaraz became the youngest major champion since Nadal at the 2005 French Open, the youngest US Open champion since Pete Sampras in 1990, the first man born in the 2000s to win a major singles title, and the youngest man to be ranked world No. 1, surpassing Lleyton Hewitt's record. Alcaraz also became the third player to reach a major final having won three consecutive five-set matches, after Stefan Edberg at the 1992 US Open and Andre Agassi at the 2005 US Open. At 23 hours and 39 minutes of play duration across his seven matches, Alcaraz spent the longest time on court in major history until then, a record that was later broken by Daniil Medvedev at the 2024 Australian Open. Ruud became the first Norwegian to reach the final.

Novak Djokovic defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final, 6–0, 7–6(7–5) to win the men's singles tennis title at the 2022 Italian Open. It was his sixth Italian Open title and record-extending 38th Masters 1000 title overall. Djokovic did not lose a set during the tournament, and won his 1000th ATP Tour-level career match against Casper Ruud in the semifinals.

Carlos Alcaraz defeated the defending champion Alexander Zverev in the final, 6–3, 6–1 to win the men's singles tennis title at the 2022 Madrid Open. Alcaraz also became the first man to defeat Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in the same clay court tournament, which he did in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively.

The 2023 Novak Djokovic tennis season is considered one of the greatest tennis seasons of all time by an individual tennis player. It officially began on 1 January 2023, with the start of the Adelaide International, and ended 25 November 2023 after Serbia's defeat by Italy in the semifinals of the Davis Cup Finals.

Holger Rune defeated the defending champion Novak Djokovic in the final, 3–6, 6–3, 7–5 to win the singles tennis title at the 2022 Paris Masters. It was his first Masters 1000 title, and he saved three match points en route, in the first round against Stan Wawrinka. Rune made his top-10 debut in the ATP rankings with the win, and he defeated five top-10 players en route to the title. This was Rune's fourth final in a row, and his third title. He became the second teenager to win a Masters 1000 title in the 2022 season, after Carlos Alcaraz at Miami and Madrid. Rune was the first Scandinavian to win a Masters 1000 title since Robin Söderling at the 2010 Paris Masters. It was Djokovic's first loss in an Masters 1000 final after winning the first set, having previously been 30–0.

References

  1. "ATP Prize Money Leaders" (PDF). Protennslive.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2022-12-06. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  2. "Rafael Nadal reveals his early 2022 schedule, facing no rivals from the top". tennisworldusa.org. 10 December 2021.
  3. "2022 Schedule". rafaelnadalfans.com. 10 December 2021.
  4. Futterman, Matthew (7 July 2022). "Rafael Nadal Withdraws From Wimbledon Ahead of Semifinal Match". The New York Times .
  5. "Summary and highlights of Rafael Nadal 0-2 Andy Murray IN Abu Dhabi semifinals". Vavel. 17 December 2021. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  6. "Mubadala World Tennis Championship 2021 - Denis Shapovalov downs Rafael Nadal to claim third in Abu Dhabi - Eurosport". Eurosport. 18 December 2021. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
  7. "Rafael Nadal will kick off the 2022 season at the ATP 250 event in Melbourne". tennisworldusa.org. 10 December 2021. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  8. 1 2 "FedEx ATP Rankings COVID-19 Adjustments FAQ". ATP. 13 January 2021.
  9. "FAQ: Removal Of ATP Rankings Points From 2022 Wimbledon". ATP Tour. 20 May 2022. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  10. "Rafael Nadal Extends Perfect Season with Acapulco Title | ATP Tour | Tennis".