6 players who have defeated Rafael Nadal at the Italian Open

Rafael Nadal is the most successful player in the history of the Rome Masters held each year at the Foro Italico. Nadal is a 10-time champion at the Italian Open, which is one of the the most important events on the ATP calendar leading up to Roland Garros.

Rafael Nadal has entered the event each year since 2005. Such has been the dominance of the Spaniard that he has reached 12 finals at the Italian Open since 2005.

Rafael Nadal has been a part of both the longest (2006) and shortest finals (2013) played at the Rome Masters. Ironically, both matches were against the same opponent, Roger Federer, with Nadal emerging as the victor in both.

Given Nadal's achievements on clay, and specifically in Rome, it comes as no surprise that only six players have beaten him in the tournament in 17 years. Let's take a look at those six players.

#1 Juan Carlos Ferrero

Juan Carlos Ferrero in the 2012 Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open - Day Three

Rafael Nadal was a three-time defending champion in Rome when he entered the event in 2008. But he lost 7-5, 6-1 to compatriot Juan Carlos Ferrero in the second round, marking was only his second defeat in 105 matches on clay.

Just a week prior to his surprise loss in Rome, Nadal defeated Ferrero in straight sets at the 2008 Monte-Carlo Masters.However, Ferrero exacted his revenge with a comprehensive win, becoming only the fourth player to win a set 6-1 against Nadal on clay.

Ferrero, a former World No. 1, went on to lose the next match against eventual runner-up Stan Wawrinka.

#2 Novak Djokovic

Djokovic at the Internazionali BNL D'Italia 2022 - Day Eight

The Rafael Nadal-Novak Djokovic rivalry is one of the greatest epics in tennis history. In Rome, they have faced each other nine times, with six of those meetings coming in the finals. Nadal leads 6-3 (4-2 in finals).

Djokovic won the Italian Open in 2011, 2014 and 2016, beating Nadal in each of those years (twice in the final and once in the quarterfinal in 2016).

#3 Stan Wawrinka

Wawrinka at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters - Day Two

Stan Wawrinka announced himself with a resounding win against Rafael Nadal in the 2014 Australian Open final. The following year, Wawrinka yet again got the better of the Spaniard, defeating him 7-6(7) 6-2 in the quarterfinals in Rome.

The same year, Wawrinka would lift his second Grand Slam title at the French Open, defeating Novak Djokovic in the final.

#4 Dominic Thiem

Thiem at 2021 French Open - Day One

In 2017, the Rome Masters quarterfinals saw Austria's Dominic Thiem stun the King of Clay in under two hours. Thiem had lost the Barcelona and Madrid Open finals to Nadal in the preceding weeks, but emerged victorious in their third meeting on clay that year.

Thiem's 6-4 6-3 win against Nadal meant that the Austrian advanced to his maiden Italian Open semifinals.

#5 Diego Schwartzman

Schwartzman at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell 2022 - Day Seven

In their 12 meetings, Diego Schwartzman's only win against the Spaniard came in the 2020 Rome Masters quarterfinals, with Schwartzman winning 6-2, 7-5. Schwartzman finished as the eventual runner-up, which is till date his best showing at a Masters event. It was Rafael Nadal's sixth straight-sets loss in Rome and seventh overall in 75 matches.

#6 Denis Shapovalov

Shapovalov at the Internazionali BNL D'Italia 2022 - Day Five

Denis Shapovalov came into the limelight when he defeated Rafael Nadal in Montreal in 2017. Five years later, Shapovalov gets the better of Nadal yet again.

The win came on the Spaniard's beloved surface and at an event (Rome Masters) that the King of Clay has won 10 times. It is indeed notable to mention that after taking the first set 6-1, Nadal was visibly hindered with a foot injury that might've played a role in the defeat and maybe hamper his preparations ahead of Roland Garros.