"The only thing that means is I am very old"- When Rafael Nadal reacted to becoming the first player to be World No. 1 in 3 different decades
Rafael Nadal finished 2019 as the year-end World No. 1, meaning that he would begin 2020 at the top spot. The Spaniard thus became the first player, male or female, to hold the top spot in the rankings in three different decades, having first reached the World No. 1 ranking in 2008.
Nadal represented Spain in the inaugural edition of the ATP Cup in 2020 and helped them win their first two matches against Georgia and Uruguay. After the latter fixture, the Spaniard was told about his incredible achievement. Nadal offered a hilarious response, claiming that his record meant he was very old.
"The only thing that means is I am very old," the Spaniard said.
Nadal added that he was lucky to have enjoyed a stellar career and thanked his fans for their continuous support.
"I really enjoy what I am doing. I feel I’m a very lucky to experience all the experiences which tennis allows me to enjoy. I can’t thank everybody enough. In the stadium today and all around the world, you get these very special feelings when you’re on court in front of great crowds supporting," the Spaniard said.
"That’s one of the reasons you wake up every morning and go on the practice courts with the right attitude and the right passion and with the clear goal to improve something," he added.
Nadal helped Spain reach the final of the inaugural ATP Cup, where they faced the Novak Djokovic-led Serbian contingent. After Roberto Bautista Agut defeated Dusan Lajovic in the opener, Djokovic leveled the scores by getting the better of Nadal.
Djokovic and Viktor Troicki won the tournament for their country by winning the decisive doubles match 6-3, 6-4 against Pablo Carreno Busta and Feliciano Lopez.
Rafael Nadal has been the World No. 1 for 209 weeks
Rafael Nadal has been the World No. 1 for a total of 209 weeks throughout his illustrious career. The Spaniard first attained the ranking in 2008 by ending Roger Federer's 237-week streak.
Nadal's longest stay at the World No. 1 was a period of 56 weeks from June 7, 2010 to July 3, 2011. His last stint at the top of the ATP rankings lasted 13 weeks from November 4, 2019 to February 2, 2020.
Nadal is currently taking a break from tennis as he recovers from his hip surgery in order to compete in the 2024 season.