When was the last time there were two Spaniards in the Top-5 of the ATP rankings? Ft. Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer
Rafael Nadal was joined by countryman Carlos Alcaraz in the Top-5 of the ATP rankings this week, as the latter became the new World No. 5 on Monday. This is the first time the young Spaniard has broken into the Top-5 in the rankings table, a well-deserved reward considering the phenomenal year he has had so far.
A straight-sets victory against Alex Molcan in the semifinals of the 2022 Hamburg European Open assured the teenager of this enviable accomplishment. Unfortunately, Alcaraz lost to Italy's Lorenzo Musetti in the final, where a win would have taken him all the way up to World No. 4.
Rafael Nadal is currently in third place in the ATP rankings (6,165 points), while Alcaraz is less than 1,300 points away from him with a tally of 4,895 points. The last time there were two Spaniards in the Top-5 of the ATP rankings was back on 20 October 2014, when Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer occupied the third and fifth spots respectively.
It was also the last time Ferrer was part of the Top-5 as he fell to World No. 10 by the end of the year. In the following seasons, the best he could manage was reaching the No. 6 position, leaving the 22-time Grand Slam champion without any company until Alcaraz came along.
Novak Djokovic
Roger Federer
Rafael Nadal
hasta esta semana.Ranking ATP 🗓️ 20 de octubre de 2014
1. 🇷🇸 Novak Djokovic
2. 🇨🇭 Roger Federer
3. 🇪🇸 Rafael Nadal
4. 🇨🇭 Stan Wawrinka
5. 🇪🇸 David Ferrer
Esta era la última vez que dos 🇪🇸 coincidieron en el Top 5⃣ hasta esta semana.
Most famously, Nadal and Ferrer took on one another in the 2013 French Open final, with the Mallorcan winning easily in straight sets to bring up his eighth title at the tournament. The 36-year-old has won a total of 14 titles in Paris as of now, with the latest coming in June, when he defeated Casper Ruud in straight sets.
On the other hand, at the age of 19 years, Alcaraz became the youngest player to make an entry into the Top-5 of the ATP rankings since his fellow countryman, Rafael Nadal, achieved the same back in 2005. 17 years ago, the southpaw broke into the Top-5 after winning his first Rome Masters title as an 18-year-old.
Still hunting for his first Grand Slam title, Alcaraz lost in the fourth round of the recently concluded Wimbledon Championships against Jannik Sinner in a four-set contest. The youngster was one of the favorites for the French Open title as well, but lost to Alexander Zverev quite unexpectedly in the quarterfinals.
Rafael Nadal has had a sensational 2022 season so far
The veteran has had an amazing run in the ongoing 2022 season and will aim to continue the same showing. The 36-year-old won his 21st Grand Slam title after beating Daniil Medvedev in the final of the Australian Open, becoming the first man in history to reach the figure.
The All England Lawn Tennis Club would like to extend our sympathies to @RafaelNadal
#Wimbledon https://t.co/EpLvyyQEKV
The Spaniard then continued his supremacy at Roland-Garros, extending his lead over Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer in the Slam race with his 22nd Major. However, he had to pull out of Wimbledon after suffering a muscle tear in his abdomen following his quarterfinal clash against Taylor Fritz.
Despite his dreams of winning the Calendar Grand Slam coming to an unfortunate end, the World No. 3 will aim to bring his best to the US Open starting at the end of next month.