ATP Finals: Rafael Nadal's thorn in the side of a brilliant career

Rafael Nadal, one of the greatest tennis players of all time, has had a career full of successes, but the ATP Finals are the only unattainable milestone in his list of achievements.

This tournament, which brings together the eight best players of the year, has been a constant challenge for the Spaniard, who often arrived with just enough gas in the tank after having left everything in each season.

Since his debut in 2005, Nadal has faced multiple absences at the ATP Finals, not participating in key editions such as 2008, 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2018. In 2017, his participation was minimal, as he only played one match in the group stage. Injuries have been a determining factor throughout his career, dealing with physical problems that have prevented him from competing at the highest level in this event.

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The Spaniard's style of play proved to be very tiring for his physique, and the grueling number of ATP tournaments throughout the year combined with the huge number of finals played in each one meant that the number of matches and hours of competition were eroding the Mallorcan.

However, Rafa had significant opportunities to win the title on several occasions. In 2006 and 2007 he reached the semifinals, losing to Roger Federer. In 2010 he reached the final, but was again defeated by the Swiss.

Although Nadal surpasses Federer in the history of direct confrontations, the Swiss has been his tormentor in the tournament that brings together the best 8 players of the season. In addition, the Spaniard was unable to beat Novak Djokovic in the 2013 final or in the 2015 semifinals. His last big chance came in 2020, but Daniil Medvedev overcame him in the semifinals.

The 2021 and 2022 editions were particularly difficult for Nadal, who was barely able to compete due to new injuries. In 2022, in his last appearance, he failed to advance beyond the group stage.

Despite his impressive legacy, the ATP Finals will appear as the only asterisk in the Spaniard's career. A testament to the full impact that injuries have had throughout his magnificent career, and further proof of Rafa's enormous heart to overcome so many difficulties and go on to win no less than 22 Grand Slam titles.

Originally published on TenisAldia.ES.