Autograph Corner: Rafael Nadal

Records are made to be broken. But it is inconceivable that any player is going to win the Roland Garros singles title 15 times to dethrone Rafael Nadal, the King of Clay. His record setting 14 Roland Garros singles titles are part of an incredible tennis career by the numbers including: 209 weeks at #1; year-end #1 five times; 22 Grand Slam singles titles comprised of the Roland Garros titles, 2 Australian Open titles; 2 victories at Wimbledon and 4 U.S. Open titles; 92 ATP-level singles titles, including 36 Masters titles and Olympic gold medals in singles and doubles. Fittingly, he won his last major title at Roland Garros in 2022.   

Nadal is one of only three male players to complete the career Golden Slam in singles. He won 81 consecutive matches on clay which is the longest single surface win streak in the Open era. He is second in all time earnings at $134,946,100.00. His career win-loss record is 1,080-228 (82.6%).  

Above: Rafael Nadal signed print courtesy of Adam Ross.

Nadal helped Spain win the Davis Cup 5 times. He won the Tour Finals on two occasions. But these staggering numbers alone do not define Nadal.  Rafa will also be remembered for his incredible will to win. His huge heart. His never say die attitude. Rafa’s refusal to take a point off. His love of the game. His incredible sportsmanship - grace in winning and losing- mostly winning.

Nadal’s humanity and humble approach were reflected in his interactions with countless fans, tennis officials, the media, and the individuals that ran the events and the volunteers. He is grounded and defined by his love and respect for family and friends. His long time coach, his Uncle Toni, and Rafa’s parents, instilled this in Rafa at a young age. And paying it forward is very important to Nadal. The Rafael Nadal Foundation’s Centers help young people in vulnerable situations through sports, educational activities and psychosocial support.

Despite his retirement from active play in 2024, Rafa is a tennis lifer. He opened the Rafa Nadal Academy with training programs for juniors and adults. While his competitive playing days are over, the next chapter of his tennis career and his post tennis life off the court are just beginning and promise to be as exciting as his legendary playing career. Next stop, the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Vamos, Rafa! 

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Adam Ross is a contributing writer for Florida Tennis. He is a volunteer for the USTA Florida and a member of the Tennis Collectors of America/TCA. He welcomes your questions and comments at robinadam@comcast.net. Top photo: Christopher Johnson (globalite), CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.