3 times when Rafael Nadal participated in the Chennai Open

Spain's tennis legend Rafael Nadal has announced that he will be retiring from professional tennis at the end of the season. A 22-time Grand Slam singles champion, Nadal, is one of the most loved and celebrated athletes the world has seen.

The 38-year-old has had an illustrious career constituting of numerous stellar performances. There is hardly a corner of the globe where this iconic player has not captivated fans. Over time, Nadal has also established himself as a renowned figure in India. He first started his journey with Indian tennis by competing in the Chennai Open.

The Chennai Open is an annual tournament that is played on hard courts and is a part of the ATP Tour. Here are 3 times that Rafael Nadal participated in the tournament.

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#3. Rafael Nadal becomes a champion at the Chennai Open 2004

The 2004 Chennai Open happened at a time when Rafael Nadal was still finding his footing in the world of tennis. However, it did not take him much time to show what he was capable of.

Though he could not go past the first round in men's singles, Nadal emerged as a champion in the men's doubles event. His loss in the singles was a close one as he went down to Thierry Ascione of France 7-6, 6-4.

In the doubles event, Nadal paired with fellow Spanish compatriot Tommy Robredo to win the Chennai Open in remarkable fashion. The pair defeated Andy Ram and Jonathan Erlich of Argentina in the finals.

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#2. Rafael Nadal shows improvement in singles performance at the Chennai Open 2007

Rafael Nadal had started to make a name for himself globally by the time he took part in the 2007 edition of the tournament. His performance in the singles event was an example of his improved skill set. The French star won three games on the trot to make it to the semifinals.

He cruised through the early rounds, dispatching Rainer Schuettler of Germany and Karan Rastogi of Hong Kong in the round of 32 and round of 16, respectively. Nadal’s dominance continued into the quarterfinals, where he effortlessly defeated Davide Sanguinetti of Italy in straight sets. Unfortunately, his remarkable run came to an end in the semifinals, as he fell to Xavier Malisse of Belgium.

In the men's doubles event, Rafael Nadal along with Bartolome Salva-Vidal ended up being the runners-up. The duo lost in the finals to the Belgian pair of Xavier Malisse and Dick Norman.

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#1. Rafael Nadal displays great mental toughness at the Chennai Open 2008

Rafael Nadal went a step further by reaching the singles final at the following edition of the Chennai Open in 2008. He showed great composure and mental strength to win some difficult matches en route to the finals.

From the third round to the semifinals, Nadal overcame tough challenges. However, the final proved to be his biggest hurdle. The French player was completely outclassed by Mikhail Youzhny of Russia, losing the match 0-6, 1-6.

In the men's doubles, Nadal lost in the third round with his partner Bartolome Salva-Vidal.