Rafael Nadal adds another crazy achievement to his list of records

One of tennis’ most legendary athletes added a new milestone to his storied career at the end of last year when he became one the longest-serving professional on the sport’s list of top-ranking players

Rafael Nadal has become the first player in professional tennis history to remain in the Association of Tennis Professionals’ top ten ranking for over 900 consecutive weeks. 

Nadal hasn’t left tennis’ top ten male players list since he joined it at the age of 18 in April 2005 during his professional tennis debut. 

This new record unseated the former longest-serving tennis professional, Jimmy Connors, who stayed in the ATP rankings top ten list for 789 consecutive weeks from 1973 to 1988. 

While Nadal didn’t publicly comment on breaking the record for the longest-serving male tennis player on the ATP rankings, it has rekindled a fierce debate with fans over tennis’ greatest of all time. 

“He has not only become a mainstay of the phenomenal generation, but he has won everything there was to win,” wrote Tennis World USA’s Lorenzo Ciotti. 

But Nadal sparked a minor controversy in November 2022 when he suggested that he doesn’t think about the greatest of all-time debate during an interview during his exhibition tour in South America. 

“I don’t think about it. I think it’s something that takes a backseat,” Nadal said, adding the most “important legacy is that all the people I have met during these 20 years of my career have a good human memory of me.”

“At the end of the day, the personal issue, education, respect, and the affection with which you can treat people comes before the professional issue, because that is what remains with time,” the tennis star continued. 

Always the humble all-star, Nadal also said that he doubted his ability to stay so high in the professional rankings for much longer since it's difficult to keep up that level of play. 

“I don’t think it’s going to be a trend. It’s difficult to maintain such a high level,” Nadal said. 

“I play very few events at this stage,” Nadal added, “so it’s difficult to maintain a very high ranking because you have to be very accurate in the events where you compete.”

But recognition should be given where it's due. Nadal had a very good 2022 season despite the many off-court challenges he was facing.  

Nadal ended his previous season with a serious foot injury but was able to quickly bounce back and won the Australian Open in one of the greatest tennis comebacks of all time. 

The tennis all-star also won a slew of other titles, including his 14th French Open, defeating four other top ten players—Félix Auger-Aliassime, Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev, and Casper Ruud—to get there. 

Nadal also became the first male player in tennis history to win a 21st and 22nd Grand Slam singles title according to tomtennisconnected.com, making him the all-time men’s leader.