Rafael Nadal first represented Spain in the Davis Cup in 2004. Since then, the team event has seen the best of him. He has lost only once ever since he made his debut in the tournament nearly two decades ago. And co-incidentally, that player shares the same name as Nadal’s biggest rival ever.
It was Czech Republic’s Jiri Novak who beat Rafael Nadal in his first-ever tie in the Davis Cup. After that, even elite rivals like Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer have not defeated the Spaniard.
Nadal has a stunning Davis Cup record, winning 29 matches in singles and losing only one. After falling in his debut match, he has won every fixture he has played in the team tournament. With a 29-1 record in singles, he boasts an incredible win percentage of 97%. This is Nadal’s best W/L percentage for any competition, alongside the French Open where he has a legendary 112-3 record. His 29-match Davis Cup run is third on the list of longest winning streaks in the Davis Cup. Bjorn Borg is second with 33 and Marcos Baghdatis leads the way with 36.
Before he embarked on this streak, he lost his debut singles tie in the 2004 Davis Cup World Group first round against the Czech Republic. Playing on the now-discontinued carpet surface, Novak beat a raw 18-year-old Nadal in straight sets. The young Spaniard put up a strong fight to take two sets into the tiebreaker. Former World No. 5 Novak, however, prevailed 7-6(2), 6-3, 7-6(3). He also teamed up with Radek Stepanek to beat Nadal and Tommy Robredo in their doubles tie.
Nadal bounced back to win his second singles clash of the match against Stepanek. This kickstarted the 29-match winning run which is continues unbroken even today. Spain ultimately won the fixture and would go on to lift the Davis Cup trophy. This was the first of Nadal’s five title triumphs in the event.
Novak, meanwhile, retired without ever lifting the Davis Cup. He had a more distinguished doubles career, winning three ATP 1000 titles and finishing runner-up twice in two Grand Slam events. Interestingly, Novak was also Roger Federer’s first Wimbledon opponent. He beat the Swiss, a wildcard entrant, in the first round of the 1999 Wimbledon men’s singles competition.
Spain will be happy to see potential Rafael Nadal return in 2024
Rafael Nadal has not played tennis since his loss in the second round of the 2023 Australian Open. He has spent the entire year recovering and even underwent surgery. He admitted that there was a point where he was unsure if he would even return to the court. However, a comeback in 2024 is on the cards.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion was rumoured to feature in the 2024 Australian Open but that seems highly doubtful. Nadal has not yet specified an exact date or tournament and what level of tennis he would be able to play on his comeback.
Carlos Alcaraz, taking over the mantle to keep Spain’s flag flying high in tennis, has been vocal about wanting to play with Nadal. Compatriot and Davis Cup coach David Ferrer said there was a possibility of them teaming up had the Iberian nation qualified for the Final 8 this year. However, neither did Spain make it nor did Nadal get fit in time.
Both of them have spoken about teaming up in doubles at the 2024 Paris Olympics but it is subject to the veteran’s fitness and tournament selection. Nadal will likely be extremely selective about the events he plays in order to maximise his chances to win a titles and not succumb to fatigue. However, he may choose to play a tie or two in the 2024 Davis Cup.
