Rafael Nadal

Federer to play Tursunov in first round of Olympics

ESPN.com - Found 10 hours ago
Rafael Nadal, who will replace Federer atop the rankings in the week after the Olympic tournament, drew Italy's Potito Starace in the first...
Federer, Nadal get first round Olympic assignments - CBS Sportsline
Federer faces Tursunov in tough opener - CNN
Federer to play Tursunov in Olympics first round - Washington Post
Federer, Nadal learn matchups for Olympics opener - WBZ News Radio 1030
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New York Post

Posted on August 7, 2008, 7:49 am

Olympic torch ascends Great Wall

Washington Post - Found 15 hours ago
Tennis starts on Sunday, with many hoping for another classic encounter between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer in the men's singles final.
Olympic Torch Ascends the Great Wall - FOXNews.com
Olympic torch takes historic run on Great Wall - International Herald Tribune
Beijing torch climbs the Great Wall - International Herald Tribune
Olympic torch reaches Beijing - MSNBC
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Sun Herald

Posted on August 7, 2008, 3:01 am

Ancic withdraws from U.S. Open with mononucleosis

TSN - Found 22 hours ago
Federer in the first round at Wimbledon in 2002. That had been Federer's most recent loss there until Rafael Nadal beat him in the final this...
Ancic will miss U.S. Open, again - Miami Herald
Ancic out of US Open with mononucleosis - New York Post
Ancic withdraws from US Open - Frontier Post
Mario Ancic pulls out of U.S. Open - CBC North
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TSN

Posted on August 6, 2008, 7:50 am

Nadal looks to recover from tiredness in time for Olympics

People's Daily Online - Found 20 hours ago
Rafael Nadal, who is set to become the world number one after the Olympic Games, told a Wednesday night press conference that he hopes to recover
Nadal focusing on Beijing gold rather than top spot - AFP via Yahoo!
Nadal's eyes on gold - Yahoo! News Australia
Nadal ready for Olympics - IAfrica.com
Nadal focusing on Beijing gold rather than top spot - The Age
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IAfrica.com

Posted on August 6, 2008, 10:01 am

Federer and Ivanovic gain top seeds in Olympic Tennis

TSN - Found 19 hours ago
... the top 10 men in the world, including Spain's Rafael Nadal, who will take over the overall No. 1 ranking on Monday, August 18th. Nadal has won...
Federer, Ivanovic named Olympic top seeds - UPI
Federer and Ivanovic gain top seeds in Olympic Tennis - Miami Herald
Federer, Ivanovic Top Seeds in Olympic Tennis Tournament - BillCountry
Federer, Ivanovic Top Seeds in Olympic Tennis Tournament - SuperRock 104.9 FM
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TSN

Posted on August 6, 2008, 11:21 am

How the Summer Games aren't helping tennis

CNN - Found 19 hours ago
... eat lunch together Martina Hingis remains retired and is unlikely to make a comeback The Roger Federer-Rafael Nadal Wimbledon final was a good...
Jon Wertheim: How the Olympics are hurting tennis, Federer-Serena ... - SI.com
How the Olympics are hurting tennis, Federer-Serena friendship and ... - SI.com
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CNN

Posted on August 6, 2008, 10:50 am

Weary Nadal fears fatigue could scupper him

Reuters Canada - Found Aug. 6, 2008
BEIJING (Reuters) - Rafael Nadal said fatigue would be his biggest enemy when he led a formidable Spanish men's quartet in the Olympic tennis event
CORRECTED: Weary Nadal fears fatigue could scupper him - Reuters
Weary Nadal fears fatigue could scupper him - Washington Post
Weary Nadal fears fatigue could scupper him - Reuters
Weary Nadal fears fatigue could scupper him - Reuters
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Sify

Posted on August 6, 2008, 10:31 am

Long season has worn on soon-to-be No. 1 Nadal

CBS Sportsline - Found Aug. 6, 2008
BEIJING -- A long season of grueling duels against Roger Federer seem to have taken their toll on Wimbledon and French Open champion Rafael Nadal.
Long season takes toll on Nadal - New York Post
Nadal has mind set on Olympics - Jamaica Star
Tired Nadal hoping to continue Spanish success - Tennis.com
Long season terrorized soon-to-be No. 1 Nadal - International Herald Tribune
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New York Post

Posted on August 6, 2008, 11:19 am

Nadal barely breaks a sweat in second-round win in Cincinnati

USA Today - Found Jul. 30, 2008
MASON, Ohio (AP) - Rafael Nadal needed little time to win his 30th straight match.
Ruthless Nadal crushes Serra in Cincinnati - CNN
Nadal takes out opponent in 48 minutes in Cincinnati - CBS Sportsline
Nadal breezes through at Cincinnati Masters - MSNBC
Nadal wins second-round match easily - FOXSports.com
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CNN

Posted on July 30, 2008, 10:38 am

Federer almost leaves the door open for Nadal

Reuters - Found Jul. 29, 2008
Had he done so it would have left the door open for Rafael Nadal to end Federer's record four-and-half year reign as world number one this...
Federer survives Ginepri scare in Cincinnati - CNN
With Nadal charging, Federer still focused - FOXSports.com
Federer back winning, Roddick withdraws in Cincy - CBS Sportsline
Fighting Federer rallies to cling on to his top spot and keep Rafa ... - Mail Online UK
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CNN

Posted on July 29, 2008, 7:53 am

Rafael Nadal Biography

Rafael Nadal
extracted from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia

Rafael Nadal
Nadal at 2006 Western & Southern Financial Group Masters Cincinnati, Ohio
Nickname(s) Rafa, El Toro (The Bull), The King of Clay
Country Flag of Spain Spain
Residence Manacor, Majorca
Date of birth June 3, 1986 (1986-06-03) (age 22)
Place of birth Manacor, Majorca
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight 85.0 kg (187 lb/13.39 st)
Turned pro 2001
Plays Left-handed; two-handed backhand
Career prize money US$19,996,948
Singles
Career record: 317 - 74
Career titles: 30
Highest ranking: No. 1 (August 18, 2008)
Grand Slam results
Australian Open SF (2008)
French Open W (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008)
Wimbledon W (2008)
US Open QF (2006)
Major tournaments
Masters Cup SF (2006, 2007)
Olympic Games -
Doubles
Career record: 65 - 44
Career titles: 4
Highest ranking: No. 26 (August 8, 2005)

Infobox last updated on: August 4, 2008.

This is a Spanish name; the first family name is Nadal and the second is Parera.

Rafael Nadal Parera (IPA[rafaˈel naˈðal]) (born June 3, 1986) is a Spanish professional tennis player. He has been ranked #2 on the ATP Tour for a record 158 weeks and will become #1 on 18 August 2008.[1]

Nadal has won five Grand Slam singles titles. He won four consecutive French Open titles from 2005-2008 and Wimbledon in 2008. He is the only male player other than Björn Borg to have won four consecutive French Open titles in the Open Era and one of only three in the Open Era who won both the French Open and Wimbledon in the same calendar year. He is also only the second male Spaniard to have won the Wimbledon title.

Nadal is already regarded by some tennis critics and former players as the greatest clay-court player in the history of the sport.[2][3] He won a record 81 consecutive matches on clay from April 2005 to May 2007.[4] This is the longest winning streak of any male player on a single surface in the Open Era. He also has a 22-1 record in the finals of clay-court tournaments and is undefeated in over 40 best-of-five-set matches on clay.[5]

Nadal has a storied rivalry with Roger Federer and leads 12-6 in career meetings. They have played in 6 Grand Slam finals, an Open Era record, with Nadal winning 4 of these matches.

Contents

Family and early life

Rafael Nadal was born in Manacor, Majorca to Sebastián Nadal and Ana María Parera; he has a younger sister named María Isabel. His uncle, Miguel Ángel, is a retired professional football player, having played for RCD Mallorca, FC Barcelona, and the Spanish national team.[6] He is an avid supporter of Real Madrid.[7] His other uncle, Toni, himself a professional tennis player, introduced him to tennis as a 3 year-old boy and has been coaching him ever since.[8] Toni has also stated that Nadal had a natural talent playing tennis while preferring to play football.[9] By the time Nadal was five, he was going to the tennis club twice a week to play and at eight years of age, also a promising striker in the local football team, he won the regional tennis championships for under-12s. By the time Nadal was 12 he had won the Spanish and European tennis titles in his age group and was playing either tennis or football all the time. Then in stepped the third of the three brothers, Rafael's father, Sebastian. Nadal's father made him choose between football and tennis so that his school work would not suffer. When Nadal was 14 years old, the Spanish tennis federation requested that he leave Majorca and move to Barcelona to continue his tennis progression and training. Nadal's parents and uncles turned down these requests, meaning Nadal received less financial support to aid his development. Rafael's father Sebastian covered these costs himself. By the age of 16, Nadal was ranked in the world's top 50 players.

While Nadal's upbringing and early years are largely kept private, he has stated growing up his passions were football, tennis and fishing.[10]

Nadal has been dating María Francesca "Xisca" Perelló, [1], also from Majorca, for three years as of 2008.[11]

Career

Early years

When Nadal was very young, his coach and uncle, Toni Nadal, taught him to play left-handed even though he is naturally right-handed. Toni reasoned that Rafael's two-handed backhand would benefit from a strong right arm. [12]

Nadal was 12 when he decided to pursue a career in tennis instead of football.[6] Toni was his primary coach, but he also trained at Nick Bollettieri's tennis camp in Florida for portions of two summers in his early teens. In May 2001, he defeated Grand Slam champion Pat Cash in a clay-court exhibition match.[6]

2002–2004

In 2002, Nadal won his first ATP match, defeating Ramon Delgado in Majorca. He became the ninth player in the Open Era to win an ATP match before his the age of 16.[13]

In 2003, Nadal won two Challenger titles and finished the year in the top 50. He is the second-youngest man to be ranked this high. At his Wimbledon debut, Nadal became the youngest man to reach the third round since Boris Becker in 1984.[14]

In 2004, Nadal played his first match against world #1 Roger Federer at the Miami Masters. Nadal won the match in straight sets. He then missed most of the clay-court season, including the French Open, due to a stress fracture in his left ankle.[6]

2005

Rafael Nadal in New Haven.
Rafael Nadal in New Haven.

The 2005 season was a highly successful one for Nadal, as he ascended to #2 in the rankings on 25 July, a position he subsequently held for a record 160 consecutive weeks. He won 11 titles (8 on clay, 3 on hard), tying Roger Federer for the season.

He began the year with hard-fought losses to Lleyton Hewitt at the Australian Open and Federer in the Miami Masters final. Both were considered to be breakthrough performances for Nadal.[15][16]

He then dominated the spring clay court season by winning 24 consecutive matches (a record for teenage men in the Open Era).[17] He beat 2004 French Open finalist Guillermo Coria in the finals of both the Monte Carlo Masters and the Rome Masters, after which Coria conceded that Nadal was the best clay court player.[18] Nadal then made his debut at the French Open and lived up to many analysts' predictions by winning his first Grand Slam singles title (Nadal was the first man to win on a debut appearance at the French since Mats Wilander in 1982).[8] En route to the title, he defeated Federer in the semi-finals, beginning a streak of four consecutive wins over his budding rival at Roland Garros. Each of these victories has prevented Federer from achieving a Career Grand Slam.

Nadal proceeded to win Masters Series events on the hard courts of Canada and Madrid, thus capturing 4 Masters titles during the year. This a single-season record he shares with Federer. However, Nadal's performances at the other Grand Slam tournaments were more indifferent, as he suffered by that time shock losses in rounds two and three of Wimbledon and the U.S. Open respectively.[19][20] A foot injury near the end of the year caused him to miss the Tennis Masters Cup and the start of the 2006 season.[21]

2006

Nadal at the 2006 French Open
Nadal at the 2006 French Open

After missing the Australian Open due to his foot injury, Nadal won his first title of the year by handing Roger Federer his first defeat of the season in Dubai. He then completed an undefeated clay-court season by defending all of his titles, including winning the French Open for the second consecutive year and once again keeping a Career Slam away from Federer. His first-round victory at the French Open allowed him to break Guillermo Vilas's record of consecutive victories on the clay surface.[22] Nadal also made a surprise run to the Wimbledon final, falling to Federer in four sets. Nadal was not expected to make the transition from clay to grass so successfully for at least a few more years at the time.[23][24] The second half of Nadal's year wasn't as successful as the previous year had been, something that Nadal attributed to mental and physical exhaustion.

2007

Nadal reached the quarterfinals at the Australian Open at the start of 2007, before losing to eventual runner-up Fernando Gonzalez. He then won the Indian Wells Masters title and won every clay-court match he played until losing to Federer in the final of the Hamburg Masters, which ended his record 81-match win streak on the surface. However, he won the French Open for the third straight year, defeating Federer once again in the final. An exhibition match was played on May 2, 2007, in Majorca, which was termed the "Battle of Surfaces." Nadal and Federer met on a tennis court that was half grass and half clay.[25] Nadal won 7–5, 4–6, 7–6(10). At Wimbledon, Nadal lost to Federer again, but force him to play five sets for the first time since 2001, and had four break points in the final set before succumbing.[26] The second half of his year once again was below the standards Nadal set during the clay-court season, as Nadal battled through a knee injury suffered during the Wimbledon final. Rumors that the foot injury he suffered during 2005 caused long term damage also were discussed during the end of the season, and were given credence by coach Toni Nadal, who claimed that the problem was "serious". However, Nadal and his spokesman strongly denied this, with Nadal himself calling the story "totally false".[27]

Nadal during his final versus Federer at the 2007 French Open.
Nadal during his final versus Federer at the 2007 French Open.

2008

2008 has been Nadal's most successful season to date. As of August 2008 he has a tour-best 61-8 record with 7 titles on 3 surfaces (clay, grass, and hard). He also had a career-best 32-match win streak during which he captured 5 titles (Hamburg, French Open, Queen's, Wimbledon, Rogers Cup) and secured the #1 ranking for the first time.[28]

He started the year by reaching the semi-finals of the Australian Open, as well as the final in the Sony Ericsson Open.

Nadal then went on to claim 4 titles throughout the European clay season, including a 4th consecutive French Open victory, crushing top seed Roger Federer for the loss of only 4 games in the final. Only Borg (1978-81) and Nadal (2005-08) have won 4 consecutive French Open titles, during the open era. Nadal is 4th player to win the same Grand Slam 4 cosecutive times, after Borg (1978-81 French Open and 1976-80 Wimbledon), Sampras (1997-2000 Wimbledon) and Federer (2003-2007 Wimbledon and 2004-07 US Open).

He then went on to claim the Wimbledon title by defeating Federer again in a 6-4, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-7(8), 9-7 five-setter lasting 4 hrs 48 min, widely regarded as one of the greatest Grand Slam finals ever played. Only Laver (1969), Borg (1978-80) and Nadal (2008) have won both French Open and Wimbeldon in the same year, during the open era. Only Nadal have won French Open, Queens and Wimbledon in the same year, during the open era. Nadal have won the most Grand Slams (5) among all Spanish players. Nadal is the first player to rank No. 2 for three consecutive (non calender) years from 25th July 2005 to 24th July, 2008.

Nadal then ensured he would be ranked world No. 1 on August 18th 2008 by winning the title at the Canada Masters in Toronto and reaching the semi-finals in Cincinnati, where his 32 match win streak was stopped by Novak Djokovic. He will be seeded #1 for the first time in a Grand Slam tournament at the US Open. Nadal will become the third Spaniard to hold the No. 1 spot, joining Carlos Moya (1999) and Juan Carlos Ferrero (2003).[29]

Rivalry with Federer

Main article: Federer-Nadal rivalry

Nadal and Federer have been archrivals since 2005, and this rivalry is a significant part of both men's careers:

  • They are the only men who have played in 6 Grand Slam finals.[30]
  • Their 2008 Wimbledon final has been lauded as the greatest match ever by many long-time tennis critics.[31][32][33]
  • Many critics consider their rivalry to be the greatest in tennis history.[33][34][35]

Playing style

Nadal at the 2006 Cincinnati Masters.
Nadal at the 2006 Cincinnati Masters.

Nadal's playing style is best tailored for clay courts, although currently his tennis is suited to all court surfaces. In past years Nadal has been called a clay court specialist, but he has adapted his game for grass and hard courts in the last 2 years. Playing with a strong two-handed backhand, well-angled topspin heavy strokes, fast mobility on the court, consistency and accuracy, excellent defense and a preference to play from the deep court, he has developed into one of the best clay court players in the history of the game. He uses a full western grip forehand, which allows him to hit heavy, powerful topspin forehands giving him a bigger margin of error because of the height at which he clears the net and the speed at which the ball drops due to the topspin that is applied to the ball. His heavy topspin makes the ball kick up high in the air, which makes it extremely difficult to return. However, these types of shots are returned short in length but the spin kicks it up so high that this kind of play is sufficient on clay. He is naturally right-handed, but he plays left-handed, and uses his dominant hand as an anchor for his two-handed backhand which he can flatten out or hit topspin like his forehand. In addition, being naturally right handed allows him to be balanced regardless of which foot he is putting his weight on, an exceptional talent when one tries to hit the ball after starting a move in the wrong direction. Known for his excellent defense, Nadal hits on the run well and creates many winners from seemingly defensive positions. Rafael Nadal is extremely athletic, and tends to go after every shot, even apparent winners from his opponents.[36]

Nadal's serve was not considered one of his strengths, compared to other players. However, it has become more of a weapon over the years; currently a highly effective first serve and a moderate second serve. Usually employing a hard lefty slice towards most of his opponents' backhands (right-handed opponents), his serve can be relied upon for consistency and also for some short-point wins such as Aces and bad service-returns.[36]

Another one of Nadal's strengths is the mental aspect of his tennis game. His ability to come back from behind in a match greatly assists him. He also has good footwork, which helps him to prepare for tennis strokes and get around the court efficiently. In addition, he can put away short balls and comes to the net quite often. Rafael Nadal has an under-emphasized net game. He is able to volley deep, but his main strength at the net is his touch and feel. Nadal is good at angling volleys away from his opponents and can hit drop volleys well after running extremely quickly up to the net to return any drop shot made by his opponent.

Overall, Nadal is an aggressive counterpuncher, forcing his opponents to make errors with his powerful topspin ground strokes, his speed and overall athleticism, his mental fortitude, and his ability to put away short balls.

Equipment

Nadal uses a Babolat AeroPro Drive racquet without the newly added cortex system. Despite common belief that he uses the string "Babolat Pro Hurricane Tour 16", he actually uses the string "Babolat Duralast"citation needed. This model's handle is (L2 grip= 4 1/4)) with no replacement grip, instead Nadal wraps 2 over grips, and the racquet strung between 53 and 55 pounds. His clothing sponsor is Nike. Nadal is known for his unconventional wear, turning up in sleeveless tops and Capri pants in a variety of colours. He wears the Nike Air Max Breathe Cage II shoes[37] which have been customized for him with the famous "Vamos Rafa" slogan written on the back of them.[38] Currently, his shoes display his nickname "Rafa" on one shoe and a logo specifically designed by Nike featuring a stylistic bull's head on the other.

Career statistics

Grand Slam singles finals (7)

Wins (5)

Year Championship Opponent in Final Score in Final
2005 French Open Flag of Argentina Mariano Puerta 6–7 (6), 6–3, 6–1, 7–5
2006 French Open (2) Flag of Switzerland Roger Federer 1–6, 6–1, 6–4, 7–6 (4)
2007 French Open (3) Flag of Switzerland Roger Federer 6–3, 4–6, 6–3, 6–4
2008 French Open (4) Flag of Switzerland Roger Federer 6–1, 6–3, 6–0
2008 Wimbledon Flag of Switzerland Roger Federer 6–4, 6–4, 6–7(5), 6–7(8), 9–7

Runner-ups (2)

Year Championship Opponent in Final Score in Final
2006 Wimbledon Flag of Switzerland Roger Federer 6–0, 7–6 (5), 6–7 (2), 6–3
2007 Wimbledon (2) Flag of Switzerland Roger Federer 7–6 (7), 4–6, 7–6 (3), 2–6, 6–2

ATP Masters Series singles finals (16)

Wins (12)

Year Championship Opponent in Final Score in Final
2005 Monte Carlo Flag of Argentina Guillermo Coria 6–3, 6–1, 0–6, 7–5
2005 Rome Flag of Argentina Guillermo Coria 6–4, 3–6, 6–3, 4–6, 7–6 (6)
2005 Canada (Montréal) Flag of the United States Andre Agassi 6–3, 4–6, 6–2
2005 Madrid Flag of Croatia Ivan Ljubičić 3–6, 2–6, 6–3, 6–4, 7–6 (3)
2006 Monte Carlo (2) Flag of Switzerland Roger Federer 6–2, 6–7 (2), 6–3, 7–6 (5)
2006 Rome (2) Flag of Switzerland Roger Federer 6–7 (0), 7–6 (5), 6–4, 2–6, 7–6 (5)
2007 Indian Wells Flag of Serbia Novak Djokovic 6–2, 7–5
2007 Monte Carlo (3) Flag of Switzerland Roger Federer 6–4, 6–4
2007 Rome (3) Flag of Chile Fernando González 6–2, 6–2
2008 Monte Carlo (4) Flag of Switzerland Roger Federer 7–5, 7–5
2008 Hamburg Flag of Switzerland Roger Federer 7–5, 6–7(3), 6–3
2008 Canada (Toronto) (2) Flag of Germany Nicolas Kiefer 6–3, 6–2

Runner-ups (4)

Year Championship Opponent in Final Score in Final
2005 Miami Flag of Switzerland Roger Federer 2–6, 6–7(4), 7–6(5), 6–3, 6–1
2007 Hamburg Flag of Switzerland Roger Federer 2–6, 6–2, 6–0
2007 Paris Flag of Argentina David Nalbandian 6–4, 6–0
2008 Miami (2) Flag of Russia Nikolay Davydenko 6–4, 6–2

All finals (45)

Singles (38)

Wins (30)
Legend
Grand Slam (5)
Tennis Masters Cup (0)
ATP Masters Series (12)
ATP Tour (13)
Titles by Surface
Hard (6)
Clay (22)
Grass (2)
Carpet (0)
No. Date Tournament Surface Opponent in the final Score
1. 15 Aug 2004 Sopot, Poland Clay Flag of Argentina José Acasuso 6–3, 6–4
2. 20 Feb 2005 Costa do Sauípe, Brazil Clay Flag of Spain Alberto Martín 6–0, 6–7(2), 6–1
3. 27 Feb 2005 Acapulco, Mexico Clay Flag of Spain Albert Montañés 6–1, 6–0
4. 17 Apr 2005 Monte Carlo, Monaco Clay Flag of Argentina Guillermo Coria 6–3, 6–1, 0–6, 7–5
5. 24 Apr 2005 Barcelona, Spain Clay Flag of Spain Juan Carlos Ferrero 6–1, 7–6(4), 6–3
6. 08 May 2005 Rome, Italy Clay Flag of Argentina Guillermo Coria 6–4, 3–6, 6–3, 4–6, 7–6(6)
7. 05 Jun 2005 French Open, Paris, France Clay Flag of Argentina Mariano Puerta 6–7(6), 6–3, 6–1, 7–5
8. 10 Jul 2005 Båstad, Sweden Clay Flag of the Czech Republic Tomáš Berdych 2–6, 6–2, 6–4
9. 24 Jul 2005 Stuttgart, Germany Clay Flag of Argentina Gastón Gaudio 6–3, 6–3, 6–4
10. 14 Aug 2005 Montréal, Canada Hard Flag of the United States Andre Agassi 6–3, 4–6, 6–2
11. 18 Sep 2005 Beijing, China Hard Flag of Argentina Guillermo Coria 5–7, 6–1, 6–2
12. 23 Oct 2005 Madrid, Spain Hard (i) Flag of Croatia Ivan Ljubičić 3–6, 2–6, 6–3, 6–4, 7–6(3)
13. 04 Mar 2006 Dubai, UAE Hard Flag of Switzerland Roger Federer 2–6, 6–4, 6–4
14. 23 Apr 2006 Monte Carlo, Monaco Clay Flag of Switzerland Roger Federer 6–2, 6–7(2), 6–3, 7–6(5)
15. 30 Apr 2006 Barcelona, Spain Clay Flag of Spain Tommy Robredo 6–4, 6–4, 6–0
16. 14 May 2006 Rome, Italy Clay Flag of Switzerland Roger Federer 6–7(0), 7–6(5), 6–4, 2–6, 7–6(5)
17. 11 Jun 2006 French Open, Paris, France Clay Flag of Switzerland Roger Federer 1–6, 6–1, 6–4, 7–6(4)
18. 18 Mar 2007 Indian Wells, California, U.S. Hard Flag of Serbia Novak Djokovic 6–2, 7–5
19. 22 Apr 2007 Monte Carlo, Monaco Clay Flag of Switzerland Roger Federer 6–4, 6–4
20. 29 Apr 2007 Barcelona, Spain Clay Flag of Argentina Guillermo Cañas 6–3, 6–4
21. 13 May 2007 Rome, Italy Clay Flag of Chile Fernando González 6–2, 6–2
22. 10 Jun 2007 French Open, Paris, France Clay Flag of Switzerland Roger Federer 6–3, 4–6, 6–3, 6–4
23. 22 Jul 2007 Stuttgart, Germany Clay Flag of Switzerland Stanislas Wawrinka 6–4, 7–5
24. 27 Apr 2008 Monte Carlo, Monaco Clay Flag of Switzerland Roger Federer 7–5, 7–5
25. 04 May 2008 Barcelona, Spain Clay Flag of Spain David Ferrer 6–1, 4–6, 6–1
26. 18 May 2008 Hamburg, Germany Clay Flag of Switzerland Roger Federer 7–5, 6–7(3), 6–3
27. 08 Jun 2008 French Open, Paris, France Clay Flag of Switzerland Roger Federer 6–1, 6–3, 6–0
28. 15 Jun 2008 London/Queen's Club, England Grass Flag of Serbia Novak Djokovic 7–6(6), 7–5
29. 06 Jul 2008 Wimbledon, London, England Grass Flag of Switzerland Roger Federer 6–4, 6–4, 6–7(5), 6–7(8), 9–7
30. 27 Jul 2008 Toronto, Canada Hard Flag of Germany Nicolas Kiefer 6–3, 6–2

Runners-up (8)
No. Date Tournament Surface Opponent in the final Score
1. 18 Jan 2004 Auckland, New Zealand Hard Flag of Slovakia Dominik Hrbatý 4–6, 6–2, 7–5
2. 03 Apr 2005 Miami, USA Hard Flag of Switzerland Roger Federer 2–6, 6–7(4), 7–6(5), 6–3, 6–1
3. 09 Jul 2006 Wimbledon, London, United Kingdom Grass Flag of Switzerland Roger Federer 6–0, 7–6(5), 6–7(2), 6–3
4. 20 May 2007 Hamburg, Germany Clay Flag of Switzerland Roger Federer 2–6, 6–2, 6–0
5. 08 Jul 2007 Wimbledon, London, United Kingdom Grass Flag of Switzerland Roger Federer 7–6(7), 4–6, 7–6(3), 2–6, 6–2
6. 04 Nov 2007 Paris, France Carpet (i) Flag of Argentina David Nalbandian 6–4, 6–0
7. 06 Jan 2008 Chennai, India Hard Flag of Russia Mikhail Youzhny 6–0, 6–1
8. 06 Apr 2008 Miami, USA Hard Flag of Russia Nikolay Davydenko 6–4, 6–2

Doubles (7)

Wins (4)
No. Date Tournament Surface Partnering Opponents in the final Score
1. 27 Jul 2003 Umag, Croatia Clay Flag of Spain Álex López Morón Flag of Australia Todd Perry
Flag of Japan Thomas Shimada
6–1, 6–3
2. 11 Jan 2004 Chennai, India Hard Flag of Spain Tommy Robredo Flag of Israel Jonathan Erlich
Flag of Israel Andy Ram
7–6(3), 4–6, 6–3
3. 09 Jan 2005 Doha, Qatar Hard Flag of Spain Albert Costa Flag of Romania Andrei Pavel
Flag of Russia Mikhail Youzhny
6–3, 4–6, 6–3
4. 27 Apr 2008 Monte Carlo, Monaco Clay Flag of Spain Tommy Robredo Flag of India Mahesh Bhupathi
Flag of the Bahamas Mark Knowles
6–3, 6–3

Runner-ups (3)
No. Date Tournament Surface Partnering Opponents in the final Score
1. 24 Apr 2005 Barcelona, Spain Clay Flag of Spain Feliciano López Flag of India Leander Paes
Flag of Serbia Nenad Zimonjić
6–3, 6–3
2. 08 Jan 2007 Chennai, India Hard Flag of Spain Tomeu Salvà Flag of Belgium Xavier Malisse
Flag of Belgium Dick Norman
7–6(4), 7–6(4)
3. 30 Apr 2007 Barcelona, Spain Clay Flag of Spain Tomeu Salvà Flag of Romania Andrei Pavel
Flag of Germany Alexander Waske
6–3, 7–6(1)

(i) = Indoor

Performance timeline

Singles

To prevent confusion and double counting, information in this table is updated only once a tournament or the player's participation in the tournament has concluded. This table is current through the Rogers Cup in Toronto, which ended on July 27, 2008.

Tournament 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Career SR Career W-L
Grand Slams
Australian Open A A 3R 4R A QF SF 0 / 4 14–4
French Open A A A W W W W 4 / 4 28–0
Wimbledon A 3R A 2R F F W 1 / 5 22–4
US Open A 2R 2R 3R QF 4R 0 / 5 11–5
Grand Slam SR 0 / 0 0 / 2 0 / 2 1 / 4 1 / 3 1 / 4 2 / 3 5 / 18 N/A
Grand Slam Win-Loss 0–0 3–2 3–2 13–3 17–2 20–3 19–1 N/A 75–13
Year-End Championship
Tennis Masters Cup A A A A SF SF 0 / 2 4–4
Olympic Games
Summer Olympics Not Held A Not Held 0 / 0 0-0
ATP Masters Series
Indian Wells Masters A A 3R A SF W SF 1 / 4 16–3
Miami Masters A A 4R F 2R QF F 0 / 5 14–5
Monte Carlo Masters A 3R A W W W W 4 / 5 24–1
Rome Masters A A A W W W 2R 3 / 4 17–1
Hamburg Masters A 3R A A A F W 1 / 3 11–2
Canada Masters A