Why is Rafael Nadal able to play the Australian Open despite being World No. 664?

Rafael Nadal is currently sitting in the 664 position, and many people might still be confused about his qualification for the Australian Open. 

Why is Rafael Nadal able to play the Australian Open despite being World No. 664?

Rafael Nadal in action during a match. (credits: Business Insider)

It’s been almost a year since Rafael Nadal last stepped foot on the tennis court. With his fans and followers growing impatient to watch the 22-time Grand Slam title winner back in the stadium and play the sport, the Spaniard confirmed a few days ago that he is fit enough to return.

He confirmed that he will be featuring in the Brisbane International, taking it as a warmup competition ahead of the much-important Australian Open. 

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However, the thing that has caught the eye of most tennis fans is his current ranking, which stands well below the radar. He is currently sitting in the 664 position, and many people might still be confused about his qualification for the Australian Open. 

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For any tennis player to be able to even make it to the main stage draws of the Australian Open, he needs to sit below the 600-rank mark.  

Thereby, the tennis professional will have to make it through the qualification stages and is therefore expected to have a tough time playing highly ranked players.

Though Nadal would not be worrying much about the opponents he is expected to face and rather would be focused on catching a hang of his form, Being a two-time winner of the competition, the Spaniard will be playing in the tournament for the 19th time in his career next year. 

Rafael Nadal’s form at the Australian Open in the past

Rafael Nadal will be entering the Australian Open for the 19th time in his career since debuting 20 years ago, way back in 2004. Apart from winning the competitions two times in 2009 and 2022, Nadal also made it to the finals of the tournament on four more occasions. 

The first title which came in the year 2009 was one of the most memorable aspects in the career of the Spaniard as he ousted Roger Federer in the final in what was a five-set thrilling encounter.

Rafael Nadal after winning the Australian Open in 2009. (credits: Tennis Now)

His second final appearance came in 2012, when he was beaten by Novak Djokovic, followed by a disappointing four-set defeat against Stan Wawrinka in 2014. 

In the year 2017, one of the most remembered battles of the sport took place as rivals Federer and Nadal yet again faced each other. Djokovic again beat Nadal in the 2019 final, with Nadal’s wait for his second Australian Open title finally breaking in the year 2022 when he beat Daniil Medvedev. 

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