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Rafael Nadal is celebrating two milestones this week. Rafa is the second player to reach 900 consecutive weeks in the top 50, joining Roger Federer on the distinguished list. The Spaniard also collected his 960th top-50 week, matching Andre Agassi and close to Federer, who is still in front.
Nadal found himself in the top 50 in August 2003, two months after turning 17. After a bad injury in 2004, Nadal lost ground, lost the opportunity to spend the whole year in the mentioned team, and in 2005 he starts all over.
Nadal has been ranked in the top-50 since January 31, 2005. 2 for Major and four Masters 1000 titles in his count! Furthermore, Nadal has not been out of the top-10 since April 2005.
1 Five years, ending in 2019.
Rafael Nadal is the third player with 960 top-50 weeks.
After 20 years on tour, Nadal is one of the best players in the world at the age of 36 despite many injuries and setbacks. After more than 19 years in the top 50, Rafa is still one of the world’s best players, ranked second in the ATP rankings and missing out on the chance to become world no.
1 after the US Open. In the year In 2021, the Spaniard did not have a good run, he played only 29 matches and failed to win the Major Championship for only the third year since 2005! Rafa missed the second part of the season due to a leg injury and made his impressive return at the start of 2022.
Nadal went all the way at the Australian Open, celebrating his first major of the season in Melbourne for the first time in 13 years! Cheering on from his side, Rafa beat Acapulco to reach the Indian Wells final after 20 straight wins.
The Spaniard suffered a broken rib and missed April’s action and his favorite races in Monte Carlo and Barcelona. With persistent leg pain, Rafa suffered early losses in Madrid and Rome and gathered dark clouds ahead of Roland Garros.
The Spaniard needs an injection to get past the top five hurdles in Paris. He overcame all challenges and took down Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev and Casper Rudd to claim his 14th Roland Garros crown. Rafa has struggled since Wimbledon with an abdominal injury, withdrawing from the All England Club before the semifinals and losing to Frances Tiafoe in the fourth round of the US Open.
Nadal and his wife are expecting their first child in the coming weeks, and Rafa should be back on court at the end of the season. 
