3 milestones awaiting Rafael Nadal at the 2020 Australian Open

Modified Jan 03, 2020 07:42 GMT

Nadal won his lone title at the Australian Open in 2009

#3 Become the 1st player in the Open Era to win the double career Grand Slam

If Nadal triumphs at the 2020 Australian Open, it would make him the first player in the Open Era to win multiple titles at each of the 4 Grand Slam tournaments on the tennis calendar.

Only 5 players - Rod Laver, Andre Agassi, Roger Federer, Nadal himself and Novak Djokovic have won the career Grand Slam, the feat of winning all 4 Grand Slam tournaments during the course of one's career. If the amateur era (pre-1968) is included, Don Budge, Fred Perry, and Roy Emerson have also accomplished the career Grand Slam.

Emerson and Laver have achieved the double career Grand Slam but Emerson did so both times before tennis turned professional, and the first time Laver did so was in the pre-Open Era. Hence, Nadal's 2020 Australian Open triumph would create an unprecedented record in the Open Era.

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Edited by Musab Abid