A look back at Rafael Nadal's three best matches against Spanish opponents

In TennisUpToDate we continue to review and remember some of the most important moments in the career of Spanish tennis legend Rafael Nadal.

After the announcement of his retirement at the end of the current edition of the Davis Cup, we have decided to relive three great matches of the 14-time Roland Garros champion facing compatriots. The Spanish armada has always counted on tennis players of enormous talent who sometimes managed to push the Mallorcan to the limit.

With Rafael Nadal's retirement getting closer and closer, nostalgia has invaded the tennis world as it begins to say goodbye to the legendary Spanish tennis player. Rafa has a great number of unforgettable duels and a special section of them corresponds to his clashes against his compatriots. Fernando Verdasco, Carlos Alcaraz and David Ferrer are some of the players who did their best to put the champion of 22 Grand Slam tournaments on the ropes.

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1. Rafael Nadal vs Fernando Verdasco (Semifinals - Australian Open 2009)

This match should be seen by every tennis fan. Nadal and Verdasco faced each other in an intense Australian Open semifinal that lasted 5 hours and 14 minutes, with a final score of 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-6(2), 6-7(1), 6-4.

Verdasco was truly devastating with his strokes and played the whole match at an exceptional level that would have been enough to defeat anyone. But in front of him was a 23-year-old Rafa who started the year in a state of tennis plenitude. The battle was remarkable for its physical and emotional level, pushing Nadal to the limit before reaching the final, where he would win the first of two titles at the Australian Open against Roger Federer.

2. Rafael Nadal vs David Ferrer (Quarterfinals - Monte Carlo Masters 1000 2015)

This was a difficult choice, as the current Davis Cup captain, David Ferrer, faced Nadal on numerous occasions, and they were almost always very close duels given that both players never give a ball for lost.

Ferrer managed to take Nadal to three sets in his favorite "territory": the clay of Monte Carlo, where Rafa was already the absolute king of the tournament. Ferrer broke Nadal's streak in the second set, but Nadal responded strongly in the third, showing why he is considered one of the best on clay. It was a match full of long points that showed the quality and rivalry between both members of "La Armada". The result was an agonizing 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 for the Manacor player in almost three hours of play.

3. Rafael Nadal vs Nadal vs. Carlos Alcaraz (Semifinal - Indian Wells 2022) 

The present and the future of Spanish tennis met in Indian Wells two years ago. Carlos Alcaraz, just 18 years old, showed his potential by facing his idol Rafael Nadal in a battle under difficult windy conditions. Although Nadal won, it was a sign of Alcaraz's emergence as a future star, and the match was a show of power, talent and mentality.