AfriPulse
March 20, (THEWILL) – After a career spanning over 18 years, Rafael Nadal has dropped out of the top 10 of the ATP rankings for the first time since 2005, marking the end of one of the longest streaks in tennis history.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion has fallen to world number 13 after missing Indian Wells, where Carlos Alcaraz beat Daniil Medvedev to win the title. Nadal spent an astonishing 912 weeks inside the top 10, breaking Jimmy Connors’ men’s record of 789 consecutive weeks inside the top 10 in 2020.
The 36-year-old’s remarkable streak has been ended due to injury, losing significant ranking points after losing in the second round of the Australian Open when he was defending champion. He has not played since then due to a hip issue, and at Indian Wells, he saw 600 points fall from his ranking as he made the final last year.
Speaking about his top-10 run earlier this month, Nadal noted that while he preferred to be in the top 10, he had to accept things as they come. Despite his recent injury setbacks, Nadal will be bidding to win a 23rd Grand Slam title at the French Open, which gets underway on May 28.
He has won the Monte Carlo Masters a record 11 times in his career and recently posted videos on social media showing him practising on clay as he gears up for a comeback. The Spaniard did not play Monte Carlo or Barcelona in 2022 and missed some of the clay seasons last year due to injury so only has 270 points to defend in Rome and Madrid combined.
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