ATP Ranking: Spaniard Rafael Nadal’s historic fall from the Top 10 already has a confirmed date

Remaining at a highly competitive level for more than fifteen years is a feat that only the best in any sport can achieve. This is the case with Rafael Nadalwho this Monday completed 911 weeks in the top ten of the ATP rankings, the second most important milestone in history, but who it has an expiration date from a left leg injury that has kept him off the field this year and a string of results in recent days.

From the April 25, 2005 that the Spaniard has ranked consecutively in the Top Ten, but after making his last participation on the professional circuit on January 18 in the second round of the Australian Open, there are several points he has let go and also those that will disappear from his collection.

It’s just that next March 20th No more units will be added from Indian Wells 2022, championship in which Raf he reached the final and he will make it it is minimally in the eleventh (11th) position.

This Monday, in the ATP Weekly Update, Nadal appears in the ninth place. The Danish semifinals Rune Holger in the ATP in Acapulco made him lose a place, but the presence of Taylor Fritz In the top four, he consumed the fall of the Spaniard from the Top 10. It is that the American could lose 1,000 points as the Indian Wells champion, but in that case he would be left with 2,795 against the 2,715 of the Majorcan.

Also, both Felix Auger-Aliassime AS Hubert Hurkacz They are guaranteed to beat the Spaniard as they have barely defended by 10 and 90 points respectively since the last edition of the Californian tournament.

even the British Cameron Noriein case of reaching the eighth, it would relegate Nadal to twelfth position in the world ranking. AND Jannik sinner is the next threat.

Nadal’s presence outside the ‘top 10’ will mean that on his return to competition he will have more complicated images and that can be seen with any of the first four of the quarterfinals.

The Spaniard would then drop his record of staying in that group at 913 consecutive weeks, which won’t be in jeopardy. Because Rafa comfortably commands that statistic on the ATP circuit, escorted by four retired players. In second place the 788 weeks of Jimmy Connor; in the third, the 734 of Roger Federer; room is located ivan lendl, with 619; and fifth, pete sampras with 565.

Novak Djokovicwho looks set to break all racket world records (he is already the tennis player who has spent the most time at the top of the rankings and one of those who has won the most Grand Slams -22, the same as Nadal, for example), is sixth in that list with a much lower record than that of the Mallorcan: “just” 555 weeks, between March 2007 and October 2017.

The absolute record is held by the Czech-American Martina Navratilovwinner of 18 Grand Slams, who passed 1,000 weeks in the top ten of the WTA singles chart between November 3, 1975 and December 26, 1994.

The sign of staying in that exclusive group of players for 6,538 days is a record between men and the winner of 22 Grand Slams, while not satisfied with the performance he showed, acknowledged what was the main argument for it: “I’d rather be there than not be there, but You have to accept things as they come. With all the injuries I’ve had it’s a miracle I haven’t come out. Many things have happened in the last year: a broken rib, two abdominal tears, a psoas tear, foot problems…».

However, the brick dust specialist doesn’t want to hang up his racket and end his career, even though he doesn’t know when the date of his return to the circuit will be. “When you’ve had a year like mine, it’s clear that you get tired, but I’m training every day at the Academy, in the gym, recovering… I’m waiting for the evolution and I don’t know if it will be Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Madrid… I want to play and I’ll be there when I can“, declared the 36-year-old tennis player, from the Santiago Bernabeu box, in the preview of the duel between Real Madrid and Barcelona for the Copa del Rey.

His future goal, in addition to returning to the top 10, will be to be present at the beginning of the European tour which starts with Monte Carlo Masters 1000on April 9th. Also, until he’s in the top again, he’ll be able to face anyone from the top 4 starting in the quarterfinals, having more complicated draws in each of the tournaments he comes to play.

According to several results that can be given to Cameron Norrie, Nadal could end up in twelfth ATP position, with Jannik Sinner as the next threat. still sits ninth.

The Argentine Etcheverry and his best finish

The Argentine Tomás Martin Etcheverry He reached number 61 in the tennis world rankings, the best record of his career, after qualifying for the ATP final in Santiago de Chile, which he lost to local Nicolás Jarry.

The 23-year-old tennis player from La Plata climbed 15 places in the rankings and became today the fourth best Argentine tennis player behind Francisco Cerúndolo (32nd), Sebastián Báez (35th) and Diego Schwartzman (38th, -1). . Furthermore, with this last push, he overtook Federico Coria (64th, -6) and Pedro Cachín (66th, -5), who are part of the top 100 just like Facundo Bagnis (96th, -2).

For his part, Novak Djokovic He completed his 379th week at the top of the standings, although he risks losing that position if the Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz (2nd) is crowned at the Indian Wells Masters, which the Serbian will not play due to not having the anti-Covid vaccine.

The first 10 places in the standings are completed by the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas (3rd), the Norwegian Casper Ruud (4th), the American Taylor Fritz (5th), the Russians Daniil Medvedev (6th, +1) and Andrey Rublev ( 7th, -1), the Danish Holger Rune (8th, +2), the Spanish Rafael Nadal (9th, -1) and the Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime (10th, -1).

How’s the Women’s Top 20 coming along?

The Top 20 of the WTA world ranking has not changed this week, thus keeping the Pole among the best Iga Swiatek as number one.

The Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia, in thirteenth place, is the first Ibero-American player among the best hundred in the world, while the first Spanish player is Paula Badosa in twenty-second place.

The first change is that of the Croatian Donna Vekic, whose victory in the Monterrey tournament (California, USA) facilitates her moving up 8 positions and settling down to 23.

Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk, with her first WTA title in Austin, Texas, USA, dropped 12 places to settle in 40th place, while finalist Varvara Gracheva comes in 22nd and is in 66th place.

Between Haddad and Badosa, the list includes the Spanish Nuria Párrizas (88), Cristina Bucsa (90), Rebeka Masarova (92) and Sara Sorribes (96). Colombian Camila Osorio is in the top 100.