6 unlikely players who defeated Rafael Nadal at a Grand Slam
Rafael Nadal has won almost everything in tennis. The winner of 17 Grand Slams, an Olympic gold medal and four Davis Cup trophies, his astute style of play and strength can neutralize any opponent. And what is evident in all of his matches is his unquenchable thirst for battle.
However, despite some miraculous achievements, there have been a few somber moments in Nadal's illustrious career too. In this article, we’ll have a look at six instances when a player ranked outside the top four derailed Nadal's campaign at a Grand Slam.
6. Dustin Brown
Wimbledon 2015 Fourth Round – Dustin Brown def. Rafael Nadal 7-5, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4
Before this match, Dustin Brown had defeated Nadal 6-4, 6-1 at Halle in 2014. He is the only player to have a 100% record against the Spaniard. What's more intriguing is that, so far, Nadal has had played 1000-plus matches whereas Brown, aged 33, has just played 158.
The match against Nadal at Wimbledon is the biggest win in Dustin brown’s career, who was then ranked No. 102. Nadal was a bit iffy throughout the match; his serve was a bit slower and the intermittent double faults cost him dearly. Nadal was also making regular unforced errors.
Brown, on the other hand, was returning Nadal's serve strongly and playing some well-controlled drop shots. He also unfurled his bag of tricks by playing a bemusing lob in the third set that drew big applause from the crowd.
Brown played the match of life, and he truly deserved a famous win over Rafael Nadal.