Rafael Nadal was no doubt the player of the year 2019. He won 2 Grand Slam title, clinched the year-end Number 1 ranking and also led Spain to a Davis Cup victory. However, the season 2020 could bring greater glory to the Spaniard. We look at the career milestones that Nadal could achieve in 2020.
4. A Career Super Slam
Rafael Nadal has already won a career Golden Slam which means winning a 4 Slams and an Olympic Gold Medal. The Spaniard however has not been able to win the ATP year end finals held in London so far in his career.
This year he looked good in London but the arithmetic denied him a semi-final entry. If Rafa wins the ATP finals in 2020, he could achieve a career super-slam which means winning all 4 Slams, an Olympic Gold Medal and the ATP year-end championship.
3. 1000 Singles Match Wins
Nadal won 58 matches in the year 2019. His total singles match wins now stand at a whopping 977, placing the Spaniard 3rd in the all time list. Rafa is just 23 wins away from achieving a 1000 mark and could do so in the next year.
The Spaniard would become the 4th male player after Connors, Federer and Lendl to win 1000 singles matches in his career.
2. A Double Career Slam
Rafael Nadal has won 12 Roland Garros titles along with 4 titles at the US Open and 2 Wimbledon Championships. The Spaniard however has a lone title in Australia, which he won in 2009. This could change in January 2020 if Nadal manages to win the Australian Open.
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The Spaniard has been in 4 finals since 2009 at Melbourne but never been able to clinch the title. If he wins the Slam next year, Rafa could become the only 3rd male player after Rod Laver and Roy Emerson to win a double career slam in his career.
1. Most Grand Slams
Rafa won his 19th Slam at the US Open in September 2019. This put him just 1 slam shy of Roger Federer’s record of 20 slams.
The Spaniard could finish as the record holder of Grand Slams if he manages to win 2 slams in 2020 and Federer like 2019 has a season without winning a slam. This could by far be the greatest achievement of Rafa Nadal’s illustrious career.