Rafael Nadal with the US Open title
The stats Rafael Nadal in the US Open are discussed ahead of the tournament next month
Rafael Nadal has been on the circuit ever since he made his debut at US Open at 17. He has cemented his legacy as one of the all-time greats in the sport, being named the ‘King of Clay.’ In his career, he has won the most number of Grand Slams on one surface, winning 13 Roland Garros.
As he approaches his late 30s, there is no slowing down as he gets stronger every season.
Nadal made his US Open debut in 2003, reaching the second round in his first attempt at the age of 17. Nadal beat fellow Spaniard Fernando Vicente in straight sets before falling to Younes El Aynaoui in the second round 6-3, 7-6, 6-3.
Rafael Nadal finally broke the duck capturing his first men’s singles title over Serbia’s Novak Djokovic in four sets, 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2.
At 24, the top-seeded Nadal became the youngest player to complete the career Grand Slam in the Open Era.
In the 2010 season, Nadal dominated the ATP Tour winning 3 of the 4 Grand Slams that year. His only shock came in the Australian Open quarter-finals. He also ended the year ranked the World No. 1.
He said in a post match-interview saying: (h/t TennisX)
“It’s a dream to have the career Grand Slam, but it is more a dream to win the US Open. It is an unbelievable feeling because I worked a lot all my life, in all difficult moments to be here, but I never imagined I would have the four Grand Slams.”
Nadal went on to win 3 more US Open titles in his career.
Nadal has won 88 ATP singles titles including a joint-record of 20 Grand Slams. The record is tied with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. He was won 36 Masters 1000 titles which is a record held with Novak Djokovic.
Nadal has won 2 Olympic Gold medals including a singles Gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and doubles Gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics. He also won the 2017 and 2019 Laver Cup with Team Europe and is a 5-time Davis Cup champion.
The Spaniard holds the longest streak in the Open Era, having won 81 consecutive matches on clay from April 2005 to May 2007. His Grand Slam tally includes 13 Roland Garros titles, 1 Australian Open title, 4 US Open titles and 2 Wimbledon Championships. He has been the World No. 1 for 209 weeks.
Nadal’s 13 French Open titles are a record for one player (male or female) at a single Grand Slam, surpassing the record of 11 Australian Open titles won by Margaret Court.
| US Open | Total matches | Wins | Losses | Win % |
| Overall | 75 | 64 | 11 | 85 |
| Finals | 5 | 4 | 1 | 80 |
| Year | Opponent | Final score |
| 2010 | Novak Djokovic | 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2 |
| 2011 | Novak Djokovic (L) | 6-2, 6-4, 6-7, 6-1 |
| 2013 | Novak Djokovic | 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 |
| 2017 | Kevin Anderson | 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 |
| 2019 | Daniil Medvedev | 7-5, 6-3, 5-7, 4-6, 6-4 |
This year, in 2021, Nadal is set to return to the US Open after not participating at the 2020 US Open. He took a break after the French Open missing Wimbledon and the Tokyo Olympics. Nadal has a good chance this year after his impressive run in 2021, despite his semi-final loss to Novak Djokovic in the 2021 French Open.
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