It’s tough to say something new about Rafa Nadal.

Beyond his insane tennis skills that made him Spain's greatest athlete and one of the all-time tennis legends, he's also one of the most loved and respected players—an absolute icon. When you talk about his career, you’ve gotta mention Roland Garros—the impossible feat of Nadal. Sure, there are tons of achievements in tennis, some ridiculously hard, but if there’s one that’s almost untouchable, it’s what Rafa did in Paris.  

Winning a Grand Slam is tough, but winning the same tournament 14 times? That’s straight-up unreal. And to top it off, he won 14 out of 14 finals—something that just feels impossible. Rafa’s dominance on clay courts is unmatched in tennis history. Along with his 14 Roland Garros titles, he's snagged 26 Masters 1000 titles: 10 in Rome, 11 in Monte Carlo, 5 in Madrid, and 12 in Barcelona (ATP 500). In total, that's 64 tournaments with over 90% match wins, 81 of then in a row. Those are records no other player, from any era, can even dream of touching.

 

 

It’s like he had a lock on clay, becoming nearly unbeatable. In my personal stats for the Tennis Race for History, his ATP points dominance on clay, along with other well-known records, is just staggering. And speaking of young talent, when we break down achievements by age, Rafa's the GOAT, no doubt. Up to 21 years old, the only one even close is Carlos Alcaraz, but no current young player looks like they’ll match Nadal’s numbers.  

One thing that often flies under the radar, though, and where I think he’s the best (besides his grit, endurance, and all that) is his court sense. Nobody reads a match better, no one picks the right shot at the right time like he does, and his strategy against each opponent is always on point. Just ask Roger Federer.