The ATP tour recently shared a head-to-head Tennis IQ Challenge video in which all the previous ATP Finals champions had to be named by the likes of Rafael Nadal, Grigor Dimitrov, Felix-Auger Aliassime and Daniil Medvedev.
It was easy for them to recall recent past winners like Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev, Medvedev, Grigor Dimitrov, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Roger Federer and Andy Murray. They even managed to recall past winners like Boris Becker, Nikolay Davydenko, Stefan Edberg, Ivan Lendl, Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, John McEnroe, Bjorn Borg, Gustavo Kuerten and David Nalbandian.
However, it later became challenging and at one point, Nadal and Dimitrov were surprised to learn that Stan Smith won the title once.
No. I don’t…Stan Smith? No. Oh ya? Still?,” Rafael Nadal said.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion emerged as the winner, naming all 25 champions. His hilarious answers sparked an immediate response from tennis enthusiasts and a few clips were turned into memes.
Fans pointed out the Spaniard's competitive nature and seriousness even during a fun challenge.
“Stop stressing Rafa with these quizzes, he takes them too seriously,” a fan tweeted.
One fan even recalled Andy Murray’s 2016 strong run and praised Rafael Nadal for remembering the Brit's 2016 victory.
"Rafa remembers Andy winning the ATP finals in 2016 (same year Andy won Olympic gold & finished as No.1 just because he practiced at what's now the Rafa Nadal Academy that summer - true story!). So, Rafael was watching his bestie from back home in Mallorca. My Rafandy heart is full," one tweet read.
One user threw shade at the 36-year-old for never winning the ATP finals to date.
"The only ATP Finals Rafa is winning I fear," a user stated.
Here are a few more fan reactions:
Rafael Nadal set to take part in Paris Masters and ATP finals
Rafael Nadal will play two more tournaments in 2022 - the Paris Masters and the season-ending ATP Tour Finals, two tournaments he has never won. He competed in both tournaments in 2020, making it to the semifinals on both occasions.
He was last seen in action at the Laver Cup, where he partnered Roger Federer in a doubles match. The Spaniard's coach Carlos Moya confirmed Nadal's participation in the two upcoming events.
"Before arriving in Turin, you have to play matches in Paris, which are similar," Moya told IB3 TV.
What is the foot injury that has troubled Rafael Nadal over the years? Check here