A look back at Rafael Nadal's 3 titles at Indian Wells
Rafael Nadal is one of the undisputed kings of the ATP Masters 1000 series. The Spaniard has the most titles (35) and most match wins (384) of any player in the tournament category which was first introduced in 1990.
The 19-time Grand Slam champion is one of 3 players to have reached the final at each of the 9 Masters 1000 tournaments on the tennis calendar, becoming the first player to win 5 titles in a season when he did so in 2013.
Also read: Nadal's 10 standalone Masters 1000 records.
Nadal is on a 7-match winning run at Masters 1000 tournaments, having won a record-extending 35th Masters 1000 title at the 2019 Coupe Rogers and then reeling off 3 matches at the Paris-Bercy Masters before retiring from his semifinal against Denis Shapovalov owing to an injury.
On that note, let us take a look back at Nadal's title runs at Indian Wells, which is one of 5 Masters 1000 tournaments where the Spaniard has triumphed on multiple occasions:
#1 2007: Beats Novak Djokovic 6-2, 7-5
After losing to Agustin Calleri in the third round in 2004 and to James Blake in 2006 in his first two appearances at Indian Wells, Nadal produced his first title run at the first Masters 1000 tournament on the tennis calendar in 2007.
The world no. 2 was clutch all week as he did not drop a set in wins over Arnaud Clement, Fernando Verdasco, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Juan Ignacio Chela, and Andy Roddick to reach his first Indian Wells final where he would take on Novak Djokovic.
Continuing his good form against the first-time Masters 1000 finalist, Nadal beat the teenager 6-2, 7-5 in the title match to become the 11th different player to lift the Indian Wells title in the Masters 1000 era.
#2 2009: Beats Andy Murray 6-1, 6-2
After falling to Djokovic in the semifinals in 2008 which followed his first title run at the tournament a year earlier, Nadal surged to his second Indian Wells title in three years, overwhelming Andy Murray in the 2009 summit clash.
Aside from his fourth-round match against David Nalbandian where Nadal had to overcome a set deficit before bagelling the Argentine in the decider, the-then 12-time Masters 1000 champion was largely untroubled.
The Spaniard saw off Juan Martin Del Potro and Andy Roddick in straight sets in his next two matches before conceding just three games against Andy Murray in the final to become the sixth player to lift multiple Indian Wells titles in the Masters 1000 era.
#3 2013: Beats Juan Martin Del Potro 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
Following a win over defending champion Roger Federer in the pair's first-ever meeting in a tournament quarterfinal, Nadal beat Tomas Berdych in straight sets to reach his fourth Indian Wells final in 7 years.
In the title match against Juan Martin Del Potro, the Spaniard fell behind by a set before recovering to seal a three-set victory and lift his third Indian Wells title.
In the process, Nadal overtook Federer (21) in the all-time Masters 1000 leaderboard.
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