Rafael Nadal boasts of a massive trophy cabinet, having been a dominating force in tennis for nearly two decades. However, the ATP Finals title is a glaring absence from his otherwise overflowing honour roll. He holds the unenviable record for the most matches won in the year-end championship without lifting the title. The Spaniard is followed on the list by some big Grand Slam-winning names.
Reddit user u/SealeDrop posted a graph showing the top five players who had the most ATP Finals/Tennis Masters Cup match victories without winning the championship. 22-time Grand Slam winner Nadal topped the chart by a sizeable gap, winning 21 matches across 11 editions. He finished as runner-up in 2010 and 2013 but never lifted the trophy. His big 3 rivals Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, respectively, beat him in the final those years. Ironically, the duo are the record winners, with six title triumphs each.
Two-time Majors winner and Olympic gold medallist Yevgeny Kafelnikov is second with 11 wins. Playing seven editions, the Russian’s best outing was reaching the final in 1997. Nadal’s senior compatriot and current coach, Carlos Moya comes in third with 10 match victories without winning the year-end event. Across five tournament appearances, the 1998 French Open winner’s best performance was a runner-up finish the same year.
2020 US Open champion Dominic Thiem stands fourth on the unfortunate list. He won nine matches, playing in the ATP Finals for five seasons. He finished second twice on the trot, in 2019 and 2020. Three illustrious players share the fifth spot. Single Grand Slam winners Goran Ivanisevic and Andy Roddick could never go beyond the semi-finals. David Ferrer, regarded as one of the best to never win a Majors, reached the final in 2007 but lost to Federer. All three have won eight matches in the ATP Finals.
Rafael Nadal could never get going in the ATP Finals
Ever since he first qualified in 2005, Rafael Nadal has struggled in the ATP Finals. His relationship with the event got off to an inauspicious start as he pulled out in 2005 after having made the cut for the first time. From then until 2022, Nadal met the qualification criteria every year except 2021. Despite meeting the eligibility 17 times, he has featured in only 11, withdrawing six times due to various injuries.
Overall, he has a 21-18 W/L record in the season-ending championship, a poor 54%. His next-worst is the 22-12 at the Cincinnati Masters, although he won that tournament in 2013.
Nadal came close to lifting the ATP Finals trophy twice. In 2010, with three Slams in the bag that year, he was seeded first and had immense momentum on his side. He beat Djokovic, Tomas Berdych, and Andy Roddick in the group phase to keep his form up. After defeating Andy Murray in a epic three-set semi-final, he ran into Federer in the final. The Swiss legend was too much for Nadal, who surrendered in three sets.
Three years later, Nadal was again seeded first after winning two Grand Slams in 2013. He once more advanced with a 3-0 round-robin record to meet Federer in the semi-finals. He secured his revenge for the 2010 final, winning in straight sets. Fancying a chance to get his hands on the coveted ATP Finals trophy, he crossed paths with defending champion Djokovic. The Serb demolished Nadal in straight sets to win his third title.
Nadal recently spoke about his return, saying he is happy to come back despite not knowing his level of play. He may be a legend of the game, but it is not realistic to assume he will qualify for the 2024 ATP Finals. It will likely remain a gaping hole in his trophy cabinet.
