10 most significant records created by Rafael Nadal in the decade that was 2010-2019

#9 First player to reach 51 Masters 1000 finals

Nadal celebrates his title at the 2019 Coupe Rogers in Montreal

The semifinal withdrawal of Gael Monfils at the 2019 Coupe Rogers in Montreal made Nadal the first player to reach 51 Masters 1000 finals.

To celebrate the occasion, Nadal beat Daniil Medvedev to extend his record Masters 1000 title tally to 35. In the process, the Spaniard also registered his first ever successful defence of a hardcourt title.

#10 Oldest year-end No. 1

The group-stage exit of five-time champion Novak Djokovic at the season-ending 2019 ATP Finals confirmed Nadal as the year end No. 1 for the 5th time in his career. That is a feat matched only by Federer, Djokovic and Jimmy Connors (5 apiece), and exceeded only by Pete Sampras (6).

The 33-year-old Spaniard would end his season with 7 consecutive wins - 2 in the group-stage of the ATP Finals and 5 at the first-ever Davis Cup Finals in Madrid.

About the author

Bhargav is a veteran sports journalist and editor at Sportskeeda, with a rich professional experience of 17 years, working for the likes of Siemens and Bombay Dyeing. An avid football and tennis follower for over three decades, Bhargav uses his vast knowledge and experience, attention to detail, an unbiased yet interesting writing style, and thorough research to craft insightful articles, which have raked in over 18 million reads so far.

Bhargav supports Italy at national level, a team steeped in tradition and history according to him. He still harbors the heartbreak from the Azzurri’s 1994 FIFA World Cup final defeat against Brazil, and protagonist-turned-antagonist from the game, ‘Divine Ponytail’ Roberto Baggio is his all-time favorite player. His favorite manager is Marcelo Lippi, who ended Italy’s 24-year wait for the World Cup trophy, winning it in 2006.

Outside Europe’s top five leagues, he follows the MLS following Lionel Messi’s move in 2023 but favors Cristiano Ronaldo in the G.O.A.T. debate. During his free time, Bhargav enjoys driving off to new places and singing.

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Edited by Musab Abid