The 21 times Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal has come a long way since his debut in 2001. He now has 91 singles and 11 doubles titles. Further, he has held the ranking of world no.1 for a record 209 weeks. Recently, Nadal made history by breaking Jimmy Connors’s record of 887 weeks in the top 10 of ATP.  It’s been 17 years since Nadal entered the elite list, but how did the 18-year-old Rafa react when he first saw his name amongst the legends of that time.

What Did Rafael Nadal Say About Invading the Elite List?

Nadal won his first Barcelona open title in the year 2005 by defeating the former world no.1 and fellow Spaniard Juan Carlos Ferrero. While speaking to the press post his victory Rafa spoke about entering the top 10 of ATP at just the age of 18. He said, “At the end I’m 18yo & I just try to enjoy on the court. I don’t feel the media pressure, I feel the same guy as 3 months ago when I was 56. Now I’m 7 and all that changes is a number. The rest is just the same”

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Rafa now after 17 years has won 12 titles at Barcelona Open. In fact, he was the defending champion of this year’s tournament. He defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas by 6-4, 6-7, 7-5 in 2021. Though Rafa couldn’t defend his title due to an injury pestering him since Indian Wells.

Nadal’s Comeback

Nadal has announced that he will be gracing the clay court of  Mutua Madrid Open after a long break. He incurred an injury to his ribs during the semifinals of Indian Wells against Carlos Alcaraz. However, his last appearance was in the finals where Taylor Fritz sneaked the title out of his hands. Later he admitted that he would be requiring a break of four to six weeks.

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Now after sitting out of Miami, Barcelona and the Serbian Open, Nadal is all set to make a comeback. Madrid will be his first clay-based tournament of the year. Further, he currently is holding the ranking of world no.4 and this tournament might help him ascend the list.  As the king of clay will be making a comeback on his favorite surface type hopes for him to win the title will be high.