It was the news tennis fans around the world were dreading but nonetheless, news we were all expecting to hear. On Monday morning, Rafael Nadal announced he would be unable to defend his 2013 US Open crown due to a nagging wrist injury in what has quickly become one of the most disappointing years of what has truly been a remarkable career.
While the fourteen-time Grand Slam Champion has obviously had more than his fair share of success, the talented Spaniard has had to deal with more than a few obstacles since winning his first ATP Tour match back in April of 2002 against Ramón Delgado at the tender age fifteen.
Besides the plethora of major titles he has collected since winning the French Open in 2005 during what was his debut performance on the orange clay of Roland Garros, Nadal has also won more Masters 1000 titles than any other man with twenty-seven and currently holds the all-time mark for the best winning percentage in the history of the game with a staggering 83.67% (702-137), just ahead of the legendary Bjorn Borg and his total of 82.74% (609-127).
Yet with all the success the twenty-eight year old has enjoyed, one cannot help but wonder what might have been had been able to find a way to stay healthier during his time on the court. With news of his upcoming absence in New York now confirmed, Rafa has been unable to take part in two of the last three US Open’s and missed a total of seven Grand Slam events over the last eleven years.
Seven…which means he has not played in 16% of the four majors since 2004. Just think about that for a minute and let it sink in. Add to that his back spasms during the 2014 Australian Open Final in which he fell in four sets to Stan Wawrinka despite being able to barely move, and the abdominal injury he suffered during the 2009 US Open and we are now talking about nine slams.
Be it his current wrist injury, though rumour has it he is also battling a bad back, the aforementioned abdominal and back problems or the far more serious foot and knee issues he has battled over the years and suddenly it is almost impossible to not sit and ponder how differently things could have ultimately turned out.
Following the completion of the 2014 US Open, Nadal will have either been hurt during our completely missed out on six different majors since 2009, which have unquestionably been his prime years on tour. Suggesting that the former No. 1 player in the world could have grabbed an extra two or three of those titles would not have been a stretch in the least and to be quite honest, it would have probably been a pretty safe bet.
When you add a couple of extra Grand Slams into the equation and the fact he has owned Roger Federer on almost every surface for the duration of his career, the discussion on who is the greatest player of all-time would intensify that much more. While no one has ever played the game with poetic beauty and sheer brilliance which the Swiss Maestro has treated fans around the globe to over the past decade and a half, that doesn’t necessarily make him the greatest champion of all-time.
Unfortunately, Rafa’s injury history has not only impacted him when it comes to the Majors but also his overall career totals. Federer just won the eightieth title of his career over the weekend at the Western and Southern Open, which is good enough for third spot behind Jimmy Connors (109) and Ivan Lendl (94). Nadal currently sits in a tie for fifth with Borg and Pete Sampras at sixty-four but has accomplished that while playing in just 837 matches…compared to 1,196 for Mr. Federer.
At the end of the day, none of us can say with any sort of certainty how many more titles Rafael Nadal would have won had he been healthier during his time on the ATP Tour. While it may ultimately be nothing more than a guessing game, the one thing tennis fans everywhere can agree on is injuries have robbed us of the opportunity of watching one of the finest players to ever grace a tennis court from doing what he does best on far too many occasions and that my friends is almost criminal.
