Rafael Nadal beats Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps in 'most dominant' poll
ATPWednesday, 13 September 2023 at 08:00
Spain’s legendary tennis star Rafael Nadal has been named
the most dominant athlete in the 21st century in a recent poll.
The 37-year-old is being termed one of the greatest
players in the history of men’s singles tennis in the Open era.
In a recent poll by ESPN, Nadal was named the most dominant
athlete in the 21st century, ahead of the likes of Usain Bolt and
Michael Phelps.
The veteran tennis star was nominated because of his unparalleled
dominance on the Clay court.
Nadal has an outstanding record while playing at the French
Open where he ended up lifting the title 14 times in 18 main draw appearances,
which is a record in both men’s and women’s singles category in the competition’s
history.
No other player in the history of the tournament has managed
to lift the title at Roland Garros more than eight times.
He qualified for the quarterfinal or beyond 16 out of 18
times, an astonishing achievement to say the least. It is because of his
dominance that Nadal has been labelled as the ‘King of Clay’.
In total, the Mallorca-born has won 22 Grand Slam titles in
his illustrious career, second-most in the history of men’s singles tennis,
only behind Serbia’s Novak Djokovic who has won 24 major titles.
Nadal has struggled
with injuries in the recent past and it is because of this reason he missed
three out of the four Grand Slams in 2022.
Azeem Siddiqui is a seasoned sports journalist and data analyst with a strong background in both digital media and live sports production.
He began his journalism career working with partners of The New York Times and has since contributed to several leading international sports publications, including Fox Sports Asia, Calciomercato, and GiveMeSport. Since 2023, Azeem has been part of the TennisUpToDate team, where he has played a key role in sustaining the platform’s growth and ensuring tennis fans receive timely and reliable coverage of the sport’s biggest stories.
In addition to his editorial work, Azeem has extensive experience as a data analyst in live sports broadcasting—particularly in cricket—where he combines analytical precision with creative storytelling. He has collaborated with multiple production companies and cricket boards worldwide, delivering real-time insights and data-driven narratives during live match coverage.
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