With a title win in Acapulco - Rafael Nadal: 30 titles without losing a set - a lonely top
With his title win at the Acapulco ATP 500 event, Rafael Nadal has won a tournament without dropping a set for the 30th time. A lone peak in the open era.
by Michael Rothschädl
last edit:
Mar 01, 2022, 07:11 am
Anyone who wins the French Open four times without losing a set will certainly succeed at other destinations on the ATP tour. That's the way it is. There is hardly a tournament that Rafael Nadal has dominated in his career as much as the Grand Slam at the Bois de Bolougne, but the Spaniard has also presented himself untouchable in other events in his career.
For example last week in Acapulco, where the 21-time Grand Slam winner not only celebrated his third title win of the still young 2022 season, no, he was even able to remain without losing a set. The newly crowned world number one, Daniil Medvedev, was just as little a threat to Nadal in the semifinals as Cameron Norrie was in the final. The result: Nadal stormed to career title number 91 without losing a set.
Nadal untouchable in this comparison
The fact that the Mallorcan managed to win the title in Acapulco without having to go into the deciding set once is quite possibly a record. For the 30th time, Nadal has managed to play a flawless tournament - more often than any player before him. In any case, Nadal only broke his own record in Mexico. With 29 title honors without losing a set, the 35-year-old was at the top in this comparison (in the Open era).
Nadal doesn't have to worry about his place in the sun in the long term either: second to fourth place in this list of the best are for players who have (long) given up the racket. While Ivan Lendl was able to win 28 titles without dropping a set, Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe each had 27. Guillermo Villas was able to celebrate 21 flawless title wins. And thus as many as Nadal's first active pursuer: Roger Federer.