The day Carlos Alcaraz regains the world No. 1 ranking by lifting the Indian Wells title, Rafael Nadal will exit the top 10 after a remarkable 912-week run there.
On April 25, 2005, Nadal entered the elite club after winning his first Conde de Godó by beating Juan Carlos Ferrero with a straight-sets victory. He was not yet 19, had not claimed Roland Garros, and the circuit was led by a young Roger Federer who held the No. 1 spot as the era was taking shape.
Carlos Alcaraz conquers Indian Wells and is No. 1 in the world again
This Monday, after more than 6,500 days, Nadal closes a storied chapter and surpasses a record previously held by Martina Navratilova in the era of professional men’s tennis. Navratilova remained in the world’s top 10 for 1,000 weeks across 1976 to 1995.
The former No. 1 has not been in peak form recently due to a hip injury sustained at the last Australian Open, which sidelined him from Acapulco and Indian Wells, where he won the title in the previous year and reached the final stage once more. Taylor Fritz stood as a finalist in the field.
Nadal dropped to 13th in the ATP rankings with 2,715 points, while Alcaraz climbed back to No. 1 with 7,420 points. Novak Djokovic, holding 7,160 points, did not participate in Indian Wells due to vaccination status. The Masters 1,000 event last year serves as a benchmark for the current season.
longevity record
At 36 years old, Nadal faces a long odds-laden exit from the top 10 after an 18-year run in the elite. No one has matched such durability in men’s tennis. Second on the list is Roger Federer with 789 consecutive weeks, followed by Jimmy Connors with 734, Ivan Lendl with 619, and Pete Sampras with 565. Nadal also added another 22 weeks to the tally when the circuit paused from March 23 to August 23, 2020, due to the pandemic. If conditions hold, Alcaraz could remain among the top 10 into the late 2030s, a distant projection that underscores the era’s longevity.
The sheer consistency of Nadal’s career is striking, especially considering the injuries that have periodically interrupted his campaigns. Throughout his journey, Nadal has spent 209 weeks as the world No. 1, collecting 92 titles, 22 of which are Grand Slams.
Nadal continues to recover and hopes to return to the tour as soon as possible, with Monte Carlo marking the planned comeback starting April 9. The bid to stay among the top seeds at Roland Garros remains a tangible goal as he works toward another deep run and a possible record in the Grand Slams. The dynamic between Nadal and Djokovic, particularly in the realm of Grand Slam titles, continues to shape the narrative of this era.