After 16 consecutive seasons with the ATP Finals ticket, Rafael Nadal failed to achieve that in 2021. The Spaniard skipped the second part of the year and did not earn enough points to at least qualify for Turin and extend his incredible streak.
Nadal has been a player to beat in 2022 and has secured his 17th ATP Finals berth as the first player to achieve that this year! Rafa is the second player with 17 ATP Finals berths after Roger Federer, leaving Jimmy Connors on 16.
Nadal has won two Major titles in 2022 and two more titles. He leads the ATP Race at 36 and hopes to earn the ATP throne after the US Open for the first time since February 2020! After a rough end of 2021, Nadal started all over and claimed a small ATP 250 title in Melbourne.
The Spaniard did not play at his best, but it was a nice boost ahead of the Australian Open. Rafa passed a couple of challenging obstacles to find himself in his sixth Australian Open final.
Rafael Nadal will compete in Turin this November.
The fifth straight loss was almost inevitable when Daniil Medvedev opened a 6-2, 7-6, 3-2, 40-0 advantage.
Nadal did not lose his fighting spirit, playing on a high level from that moment and prevailing after almost five and a half hours to lift his first Major crown in Melbourne since 2009! It was Nadal’s 21st Major crown, moving in front of Roger Federer and leading the charts for the first time in a career.
Nadal extended his streak in Acapulco, beating Daniil Medvedev and Cameron Norrie for the third straight title and a massive lead on the ATP Race. Rafa reached the fourth consecutive final in Indian Wells, facing Taylor Fritz in the title clash.
The Spaniard played it with a fractured rib and experienced the first loss of the season. Nadal stayed away from the court for over a month, skipping Monte Carlo and Barcelona and struggling physically in Madrid and Rome. After two poor results, Rafa threw everything at his beloved Roland Garros, seeking the 14th crown in the French capital.
The Spaniard defeated Novak Djokovic in the quarter-final and passed the stern Alexander Zverev test in the semis when the German retired due to an injury. Casper Ruud stood no chance in his first Major final, and Nadal lifted the 22nd Major crown to make his incredible season even better.
Nadal chased the third consecutive Major title at Wimbledon and reached the semi-final following an epic battle against Taylor Fritz. The Spaniard advanced into the last four despite a nasty abdominal injury that prevented him from competing against Nick Kyrgios.
Rafa took a couple of weeks off and returned in Cincinnati. He lost to Borna Coric in the second round and hoped for a better run at the US Open. World no. 3 has scored two wins in New York and earned enough points to qualify for the ATP Finals for the 17th time and as one of the oldest players.
