‘The Longest Top 10 streak in history’: Rafael Nadal entered the Top 10, 17 years ago and has never left since then

Rafael Nadal through the years

Rafael Nadal is one of the greatest tennis players of all time. He has achieved a lot throughout his tennis career. He has some incredible records to his name including the most number of individual Grand Slam won, which is 13 French Open. He has broken many records, made some more, and achieved incredible heights in his tennis career and he is still not done.

He has created another record of holding ‘the longest Top 10 streak in ATP ranking in history’. He is still in the top 10, not seemingly ready to quit, after all, he has had a great year after such a long time. He won the Australian Open, Mexican Open, and reached the final of Indian Wells before being sidelined due to injury.

On April 25th, 2005, an 18-year-old @RafaelNadal broke into the Top 10 for the first time.

That was 17 years ago to this day, and he hasn’t left the elite since—not even for a week. ?

It’s the longest Top 10 streak in ATP rankings history, and he’s still going strong.
— TENNIS (@Tennis) April 25, 2022

The Incredible Rafael Nadal, and the rise of his heir, Carlos Alcaraz

Rafael Nadal defeated Juan Carlos Ferrero, 6–1, 7–6, 6–3 to win the Barcelona Open in 2005 and enter the ATP top 10 for the first time as an 18-year-old, and has never left since. It was Nadal’s 4th singles title of the year and the 5th of his career. Even more impressive is the fact that he has suffered quite a lot of injuries in his career and he still never left the ATP top 10 in these 17 years. Rafael Nadal is the idol for many tennis players around the world and a new heir rises to carry the mantle for the Spanish tennis named, Carlos Alcaraz.

FS Video

And with 3 to 6 months absence every year…
Superhero material. #factsonly
— Noelani137Aiday (@AidayNoelani137) April 25, 2022

Alcaraz under his coach Juan Carlos Ferraro, the guy who lost to Rafa and helped him enter the top 10, is rising fast. Carlos Alcaraz too is following the footsteps of his idol Rafael Nadal, and in a similar way, entered the ATP top 10, after beating his friend, and a fellow Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta to win the Barcelona Open at 18 years of age, just like Nadal did after defeating Juan Carlos.

18-year-old Carlos Alcaraz has moved up to No. 9 in the ATP rankings, making him the youngest man to break into the top 10 since fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal did it exactly 17 years ago. https://t.co/lsbfYqgViQ
— AP Sports (@AP_Sports) April 25, 2022

Twitter is celebrating this incredible achievement of Nadal and the entrance of a young Spanish talent into the ATP top 10 calls for more celebration as the fans hail Carlos Alcaraz his heir, as Alcaraz retraced Nadal’s footsteps in every manner possible.

https://twitter.com/akshaymetkari/status/1518575017616822272