23 years, 22 Grand Slams - the stats behind Nadal's success

"In this life, everything has a opening and an end."

The opening successful question was 23 years ago, portion the extremity is accelerated approaching.

At this week's Davis Cup Finals, which commencement connected Tuesday, 1 of the tennis greats volition accidental goodbye. Rafael Nadal volition bring to a decision a glittering career.

BBC Sport looks astatine the statistic underlining the occurrence of the Spaniard - who volition discontinue arsenic the second-most palmy men's singles subordinate of each time.

Since turning nonrecreational successful 2001 arsenic a 15-year-old, Nadal has spent 2,543 hours and 15 minutes connected tribunal successful 1,307 ATP Tour matches - winning 1,080.

The archetypal rubric of his vocation arrived successful 2004 connected the clay courts of Sopot, a tiny metropolis successful bluish Poland, earlier helium changeable to fame the pursuing season.

In 2005, Nadal broke into the world's apical 10 - wherever helium would enactment for a grounds 912 consecutive weeks.

Nadal would triumph a further 91 ATP Tour titles, including 22 Grand Slams - 14 astatine the French Open, 4 astatine the US Open and 2 astatine some Wimbledon and the Australian Open.

The US Open eluded him the longest, but erstwhile helium conquered New York successful 2010, helium became the youngest antheral successful the Open epoch to implicit the vocation Grand Slam.

With Olympic singles golden already successful his locker from Beijing 2008, that US Open triumph besides wrapped up a vocation aureate Grand Slam.

It is an accomplishment matched by lone 4 different players - Steffi Graf, Andre Agassi, Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic.

Alongside his idiosyncratic success, Nadal has starred arsenic a squad subordinate - winning 4 Davis Cup titles with Spain.

Since losing his archetypal lucifer successful the tourney backmost successful 2004, Nadal has been unbeaten successful 29 singles matches, portion his ongoing 32-match winning streak crossed some singles and doubles is the longest successful Davis Cup history.

For Nadal, though, determination volition ever beryllium the question of what could person been. He missed 15 large tournaments due to the fact that of wounded oregon illness.

In comparison, Roger Federer was absent from six, portion Djokovic has missed conscionable 1 of the past 79 Grand Slams due to the fact that of injury.

Federer and Nadal - affectionately nicknamed 'Fedal' - faced each different 40 times successful a rivalry lasting much than 15 years.

A 17-year-old Nadal was the victor successful their archetypal lucifer successful 2004, portion a 37-year-old Federer triumphed successful their past brushwood successful 2019 astatine Wimbledon.

A rivalry for the ages was defined by relationship and respect disconnected the court, positive a clash of styles connected it.

Nadal, with his blistering left-handed forehand and fiery celebratory roars, ended his Swiss opponent's five-year winning streak astatine Wimbledon successful the 2008 last - regarded by galore arsenic the top lucifer of each time.

Federer - known for his effortless movement, his elegant one-handed backhand and calm aura - could not bash the aforesaid to Nadal astatine his favoured Slam. Nadal won each six of their meetings astatine Roland Garros.

With Federer retired and Nadal astir to play his last matches, Djokovic volition beryllium the lone subordinate of the 'Big Three' near standing.

By adding Olympic singles golden to his postulation successful Paris this summer, the Serb has present won everything Nadal did, and more.

Djokovic holds 2 much Grand Slam trophies than Nadal and is inactive chasing his 25th to instrumentality sole ownership of the all-time grounds for the astir large singles titles helium shares with Margaret Court.

Had it not been for Nadal, it's apt Djokovic would person grabbed that accolade already.

Despite holding a 31-29 triumph grounds implicit the Spaniard, helium fell to Nadal successful 5 of their 9 Grand Slam last encounters.

No subordinate successful tennis past is arsenic synonymous with occurrence connected a aboveground arsenic Nadal is connected clay, and no-one has dominated a tourney arsenic overmuch arsenic helium did astatine the French Open.

Only 3 players were capable to decision Nadal astatine Roland Garros - Robin Soderling successful 2009, Djokovic successful 2015 and 2021, and Alexander Zverev earlier this year.

Nicknamed the King of Clay, helium emerged triumphant 14 times successful 19 appearances, winning 112 of his 116 matches, with conscionable 3 of those going to 5 sets.

Such was Nadal's supremacy successful Paris, helium won the rubric 4 times - successful 2008, 2010, 2017 and 2020 - without dropping a azygous set.

He was besides ne'er taken to 5 sets successful a final.

And, earlier that nonaccomplishment to Zverev successful May, Nadal had never lost 2 matches back-to-back connected clay.

Between 2005 and 2007, helium went connected a singular 81-match unbeaten tally connected the surface.

Nadal volition discontinue with 1 large rubric missing from his postulation - the ATP Finals.

Despite appearing astatine 11 editions of the season-ending championships, Nadal ne'er lifted the trophy, winning 21 of his 39 matches.

He reached the last twice, successful 2010 and 2013, losing to Federer and Djokovic respectively.

Djokovic has won a grounds 7 titles portion Federer claimed six.

Nadal besides sits down Djokovic erstwhile it comes to ATP Masters 1,000 tournaments - the level beneath Grand Slams.

He won 36 titles but ne'er triumphed successful Miami and Paris, portion Djokovic has won each of the 9 Masters 1,000 astatine slightest twice.

Gracing the athletics during the clip of the 'Big Three' means determination is simply a terms to beryllium paid erstwhile it comes to the 'greatest of all-time' statement successful tennis.

It is apt Nadal would person won much than 22 Grand Slams if Djokovic (24) and Federer (20) had not been his contemporaries - and vice versa.

Djokovic and Federer - on with Pete Sampras, Ivan Lendl and Jimmy Connors - spent much clip arsenic the men's satellite fig 1 than Nadal (209 weeks).

While helium has undoubtedly claimed his spot arsenic the champion clay-court subordinate ever, Nadal ranks 5th for the astir ATP titles and sits down his semipermanent rival Djokovic for the astir Grand Slams.

A mentation of this nonfiction was archetypal published connected 10 October.