Rafael Nadal extends 17-year old record of not leaving the top 10

Rafael Nadal’s streak inside the world's top 10 has officially reached 17 years as the Spaniard continues to create milestones.

The current world No 4 has sat in the elite standing of the rankings since he was 18-years-old and has never dropped out, despite injury woes throughout his career. Monday marks 17 years since Nadal entered the world’s top 10 for the first time, on February 25 2005.

Then 18-years-old, the Spaniard broke the ranking milestone after winning his first of 12 Barcelona Open titles the previous day, defeating former world No 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero 6-1 7-6 6-3, back when the final was played as best of five sets.

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It means the 21-time Grand Slam champion has stayed in the top 10 of the rankings for a monumental 866 consecutive weeks. Eight of the nine players who were in the top 10 alongside Nadal have all since retired, with then-world No 1 Roger Federer the only player standing alongside the Spaniard, though the 40-year-old has been sidelined since Wimbledon last year after undergoing a third knee surgery.

The Spaniard’s ranking milestone anniversary also comes as one of his compatriots, who many believe will be the successor to Nadal, has broken into the top 10 aged 18 on the exact same day as the 35-year-old did at the same age.