Rafael Nadal ends sixth-longest top-2 streak

After 174 weeks, Rafael Nadal is not a top-2 player, losing the elite spot to Daniil Medvedev and ending the sixth-longest streak since the start of the ATP ranking in 1973.

The 20-time Major champion dropped from the top-2 at the end of 2014 and couldn't return there until winning the Roland Garros crown in June 2017, recharging batteries and starting his second-best streak that lasted until the previous week. Nadal has been one of the leading tennis figures alongside Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic during the last couple of seasons, increasing his Major tally and catching Federer on 20 shields at the last year's Roland Garros.

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Rafa is the only player with two top-2 streaks that lasted for over 170 weeks, setting his record between 2005 and 2009 when he counted to 212. Roger Federer leads the charts with 346 weeks between November 2003 and July 2010, dropping out from the top-2 after failing to defend the Wimbledon crown. Novak Djokovic forged a 325-week streak between 2011 and 2017, struggling with an elbow injury that year and losing the elite spot after handing the Roland Garros crown to Nadal.

Moving further through the past, Jimmy Connors owns a 282-week streak between 1974 and 1979, in the time without regular weekly ranking lists, that would start only in 1984. Ivan Lendl, the leading player of the golden 80s, spent 280 weeks in the top-2 between 1985 and 1990, standing above Rafa, who will never have another chance to pass him and Connors.

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Longest top-2 streaks since 1973:

1) Roger Federer - 346 weeks (17. 11. 2003 - 4. 7. 2010)
2) Novak Djokovic - 325 weeks (21. 3. 2011 - 11. 6. 2017)
3) Jimmy Connors - 282 weeks (3. 6. 1974 - 28. 10. 1979)
4) Ivan Lendl - 280 weeks (8. 4. 1985 - 19. 8. 1990)
5) Rafael Nadal - 212 weeks (25. 7. 2005 - 16. 8. 2009)
6) Rafael Nadal - 174 weeks (12. 6. 2017 - 14. 3. 2021)