Rafael Nadal solidified his position as one of the greatest ever tennis players at the Indian Wells 2022. The Spaniard became the first-ever player to win 400 Masters matches in the Open Era. Nadal defeated Dan Evans in the Round of 32 at Indian Wells to set this record. Then aged 35, Nadal won the match 7-5, 6-3 to enter the next round.
Throughout the course of his career, Nadal has dominated the Masters tournament. The Spaniard has prioritized the playing in most of the events, despite his injury record. Now 37, Nadal will try and look to add a few more Masters titles under his belt. Here is a look at all record breaking wins of Rafael Nadal during the course of his career.
1st Victory – Rafael Nadal got his first-ever Masters win as a 16-year-old. The young Spaniard faced up against Karol Kucera and defeated him 6-1, 6-2, in straight sets. Nadal did not stop at that and won the second round match as well. However, the Spaniard was eventually beaten in the third round by Guillermo Coria in straight sets.
100th Victory – Nadal defeated Czech star Tomas Berdych at the Miami Masters semi-final in 2008 to claim his 100th Masters win. The Spaniard won the first set in tie-break, while dominating in the second to win the match 7-6 (6), 6-2. Nadal eventually lost the final to Nikolay Davydenko in straight sets.
200th Victory – Rafael Nadal met Andy Murray in the Monte Carlo semi-final in 2011. The Spanish star had to fight hard to get the win against the British star. Nadal ended up winning the match 6-4, 2-6, 6-1 to book a place in the final. Nadal went on the beat David Ferrer 6–4, 7–5 to win the title.
300th Victory – Nadal and Stan Wawrinka went head-to-head in the quarterfinals of the Shanghai Masters in 2015. The Spaniard was at his dominant best as he dispatched the Swiss star 6-2, 6-1 in just over one hour.
400th Victory – Rafael Nadal defeated Dan Evans 7-5, 6-3 in the third round of the Indian Wells 2024. Despite trailing 4-2 in the first set, the Spanish star bounced back to take the first set and dominate the match. Later, Nadal won the second set with ease to seal a place in the fourth round of the competition.
406th Victory – Rafael Nadal’s last win in the Masters tournament came against John Isner at the Italian Open 2022. The Spaniard dispatched the American 6-3, 6-1 to comfortably win the match in Rome. However, Nadal’s joy was short-lived as he lost to Denis Shapovalov 1-6, 7-5, 6-2 in the round of 16. The Spaniard however, regained his form to win the French Open title in 2022.
Since then, Nadal has not featured in a single Masters event. The 37-year-old has been struggling with injuries so far and had to withdraw from the Indian Wells 2024. Now, with the Monte Carlo Masters coming up, all eyes will be on Rafael Nadal to see if he can add more victories and extend his record for most wins at the Masters level.
