Rafael Nadal: The Tennis Star's Top 5 Epic Wins
It's no secret that everyone knows Rafael Nadal firstly, and best, as a fighter—a Spanish bull. He is the archetypal tennis warrior; the ultimate defender, "Ill-fight-you-to-the-last-breath" kinda man.
When he first burst onto the scene in 2005, it was for his fighting qualities, that ability to edge ahead insurmountable opposition, to find a way to win, somehow, that was most impressive in a 19-year-old.
Over the years, Nadal has compiled a glorious record of epic victories over some of his most fearsome opponents. On all these occasions, the matches went down to the wire, as defeat or victory hung in the balance. Yet, in all those moments, Nadal just found something inspirational that left him hugging the ground in joy.
These are Rafael Nadal's five most epic victories thus far.
Rafa vs. Murray: London ATP World Tour Finals Semifinals 2010
1 of 5
This is Nadal's most recent addition to his panoply of triumphs. It was a mouth-watering three-set battle royale against Scotland's Andy Murray, touted for long as the great bane to Nadal on hard courts.
They had played in Australia, and in Montreal later that year, but on both occasions, Murray proved too good. This time, however, too good proved too little, as Nadal hung in serve by serve—winning the first set in a tense tiebreak.
Murray would roar back, breaking twice with crushing backhands to even the match by taking the second. While he would heroically make a fight back of his own in the third, coming back from a break against the great pressure-compiler who is Nadal to force final set tiebreaker.
It was a nail-biting finish to a fitting semifinal match, but one in which Nadal proved too strong, too good, at the biggest moments—the match was over 8-6 in the tiebreak, with a scintillating off-forehand. He had won, 7-6, 3-6, 7-6.
Rafa vs. Novak: Madrid 2009 Semifinal
2 of 5
This match took place as one of those things that make certain days in tennis, simply unforgettable. It was truly, in every sense, a thoroughly sublime contest. Here were Nadal and Djokovic, the clay season's greatest rivals in 2009, battling for a place in the Madrid final.
The Spaniard, of course, had everything to be supported for, although in the first set and a half the Serb took the upper hand. Capitalising on the momentum he had gained from a close defeat at Monte Carlo weeks before, he dominated the first set and looked to close it out in straights as he maintained his pressure in the second.
It was a surprising match, up until the second set tiebreaker, only in that was it inconceivable that Nadal, the king of clay, would bow out before a Spanish crowd in straight sets on his favorite dirt. Then, of course, the cries of vamos began, and with it the Mallorcan fireworks.
Nadal edged Djokovic in the second to his and the crowd's collective delight as the battle was prolonged in the third; Djokovic held a break, but was quickly broken back. With the Serb playing out of his mind, Nadal weather the storm—a final tiebreak seemed the only way to decide a battle of unrelenting forces.
Djokovic held four match points, but on all occasions, Nadal came up with something utterly spectacular to fend them off—an insane inside-in forehand one time or unbelievable defense on another. In the end, it all proved too much for the Serb, as Nadal fell in teary triumph to the ground, a victor after over four hours, 3-6, 7-6, 7-6.
Rafa vs. Roger: Rome Final 2006
3 of 5
This was another one of those days in tennis, but one which had occurred three years earlier. Of course, this was in the time of a less than unbelievable backhand, and a tendency to passivity and retreat behind the baseline. The Rome final of 2006; however, would prove no less remarkable nonetheless.
Nadal was playing his great rival Roger Federer, who was the then undisputed world No. 1, seeking to dethrone the king of clay one by one at his fortresses of terre de battue. It was a fine start as the Swiss played ridiculous winners to win the first set off seven straight points in the tiebreak.
Nadal, characteristically, sat back and started to grind away the polish of the Swiss machine, winning the next two sets. Then, the storm began, as Federer fought back in the fourth and fifth to win 10 of the next 13 games for a 4-1 lead in the second. The warrior epic, however, only truly begins here as Nadal fought back , defying all the assaults of Federer and two match points at 5-6, saved in heroically persistent fashion to play a fifth set tiebreak.
Federer, with all his experience, was actually up mini-breaks in that final set. Nadal, however, in these moments, revealed weapons that would find fuller expression years later—his mental strength and stability under the greatest pressure. He would win the match off a Federer error, but it said everything about the mental demolition Nadal had accomplished that day, in overcoming seemingly unstoppable forces, and reducing them to ruinous errors. This was Nadal, the warrior at his best, 6-7, 7-6, 6-4, 2-6, 7-6.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Rafa vs. Verdaso: Australian Open 2009 Semifinal
4 of 5
If the Rome final had been Nadal at his warrior best, it is best to say that his Australian Open semifinal was Nadal at his inhuman best. It was a clash much anticipated, but one which Nadal was expected to win routinely, owning a dominating record over his Spanish compatriot Fernando Verdasco.
It proved anything but as Verdasco came out blasting forehands and finally presenting a legitimate challenge—as a lefty to Nadal who had been unbeatable the whole tournament. When he won the first set in a tiebreak, where he had earned a set point off a let-cord dropper, things seemed gloomy for Nadal.
In fact, for the next two sets, Rafa managed to weather the storm as he had done so many times, winning the next two sets. He raised his game and went into ping-pong mode—as incredible as Verdasco offense was, Nadal was utterly unflappable—retrieving balls with mind-boggling consistency and making insane passing shots.
Somehow, nonetheless, Verdasco made this match really interesting in the fourth. In a run of points which few players have ever managed against Nadal, he tore through the fourth set tiebreak 7-1, putting him under immense pressure for the fifth.
Things got really interesting at 4-4 as Nadal went down 0-30 with a second serve to come. At this point, that unseen factor stepped in, that evil thought of facing Nadal slipped into Verdasco's mind. As usual, Nadal capitalized and would win the next two games, overcoming the tension that had become unbearable with typical doggedness, 6-7, 6-4, 7-6, 6-7, 6-4.
It was all too much even for the him, it seemed as he collapsed, with tears visibly stirring in his eyes—so greatly had a tennis match moved the man.
Rafa vs. Roger The Classic: Wimbledon 2008 Final
5 of 5
While Nadal's last four mentioned victories have come at big moments, none came as big as this one—nor as glorious. This was possibly Nadal's greatest moment ever, and one that will possibly remain with us for the rest of his career.
In facing Roger Federer at Wimbledon for the third straight time, he was pursuing history for a third straight time—but no-one, not even the seasoned un-tennis enthusiast would need to be reminded of the details of the duel that would be played out that night. It was a night of the greatest magic possible in this sport—the height and epitome of everything that fans and human beings in general, had been waiting for.
That Nadal would win 6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 9-7 was irrelevant in some ways—yet, what he had done so, against Federer at Wimbledon, only and finally crystallizes his position as possibly the greatest tennis warrior who has ever lived. He edged past the five-time champion in the first two sets, but found himself against a barrage in the third and fourth—even having to face some of the Swiss maestro's most venomous wizardry in the fourth set tiebreaker.
Few would forget the incredible passing shots in that game with Nadal earning a championship point, only to see it snatched away by pure genius—this was no Rome 2006. Against the resurgence of Federer, however, Nadal found a way to shine, and with a Borgesque tenacity, he fought for his serve and fought for break points and finally, at the last moment, broke the mighty Fed.
The Swiss had thrown everything at him, all his forehands and backhand magic (including one on the penultimate championship point), but it had proved to no avail against the Spaniard.
Nadal was Mr. Invincible that day, the world's greatest warrior, at the same time—impervious to all the world had levelled against him.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
