Nadal’s 2005 Barcelona triumph: Cruising on clay, all the way to the Top 10!

“It’s not normal that he’s winning so many matches.”

Rafael Nadal was still just a teenager, but his feats were starting to indicate that his wouldn’t be just any career, despite the fact that he was trying to play down the euphoria. His electric tennis, enormous charisma, and astonishing results had onlookers believing that, years later, he may be among the greats of the sport. But there was still a long way to go.

The Spaniard touched down in Barcelona on 18 April 2005, one day after picking up his first ATP Masters 1000 trophy at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters. It was the high point of an early season that, as well as Monte Carlo, included titles in Costa do Sauipe and Acapulco, on top of a final appearance in Miami.

With a 30-6 win-loss record across the first three-and-a-half months of the year, Nadal had jumped from No. 51 in the PIF ATP Rankings to No. 11 by the time he embarked on his second tilt at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell. His only previous experience at the event was as a 16 year old in 2003, when his campaign consisted of a win against Juan Antonio Marin 6-0 (ret.) and a second-round defeat to Alex Corretja (6-3, 2-6, 1-6).

By 2005, though, Nadal’s world had changed. At 18 years of age, he was far from the most experienced player, but his incredible enthusiasm, hunger and ambition made him a clear contender for the crown. In mid-April in Monte Carlo, he started a streak of consecutive wins on clay that would eventually stretch to 81.

“The streak can end at any time. Even though I’m playing well, I’m sure bad times will come,” said Nadal, the eighth seed in Barcelona, before his opening match. He was in a draw that included plenty of other specialists on the surface, such as his compatriots Carlos Moya and Tommy Robredo, and Argentinians Gaston Gaudio, Guillermo Coria and Guillermo Canas.

As a seeded player, Nadal enjoyed a bye through round one and started his campaign in the second round against Gilles Muller, rapidly dispelling any fears of a Monte-Carlo hangover with a 6-0, 6-2 victory in just 52 minutes. It was another exhibition in the third round against Dominik Hrbaty, 6-1, 6-2, and in the quarters he had only dropped two games when Agustin Calleri withdrew 6-2, 3-0 (ret.). Radek Stepanek also failed to take a set off him in the one hour and 20 minutes of their semifinal (7-5, 6-2).

“I’ve already achieved the goal I had at the start of the season, even if I don’t win anything else. But goals change,” said Nadal. “Maybe now I’ll demand more from myself. What I’ll try to do is go out onto court with humility and give my all.”

His incredible form would be put to the test in a title bout against former World No. 1 and 2001 Barcelona champion, Juan Carlos Ferrero. In the final – which was then played across best of five sets – Nadal maintained his run to claim the title 6-1, 7-6(4), 6-3 in two hours and 56 minutes.

_{^{Nadal fires a forehand during his 2005 title run in Barcelona. Photo Credit: Cesar Rangel/AFP via Getty Images}}

Nadal became the youngest Spaniard to break into the Top 10 in PIF ATP Rankings history by claiming his first title at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell, and the youngest player to do so on the ATP Tour since Andrei Medvedev in 1983.

“I’ve always spoken about the Top 10 and now I’m one of them,” he said. “At the end of the day, the difference between No. 51 [the position he began the season in] and No. 7 is just one figure! What I try to do is enjoy myself on court. I’ve always prepared as hard as possible. I work with humility, and I’ve really improved my tennis. The important thing is not to rest on your laurels, to always want more.”

That record for being the youngest Spaniard to break into the ATP Tour’s elite remained unbroken until 23 April 2022, when his fellow Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, at the same age (18) and in the same place, managed to climb into the Top 10 with his maiden Barcelona title run. On the Murcia native’s bench, keeping a close eye on him, was the 2005 finalist Ferrero, who will be with Alcaraz at the 2025 edition of the event as he vies for his third title in Barcelona.

_{^{Carlos Alcaraz won the first of his two Barcelona titles in 2022. Photo Credit: Josep Lago/AFP via Getty Images}}

Twenty years ago, Nadal took his first champion’s leap into the swimming pool at Real Club de Tenis Barcelona-1899. He did not know it at the time, but the legendary image of him hoisting the Conde de Godo trophy above his head would repeat itself in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2021, giving him a historic 12 trophies overall.

His legacy at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell is secure for an eternity. After he retired last November, this will be the first year since 2002 without Nadal in the draw for any reason other than injury, but his name will still be present on the ATP 500’s centre court, Pista Rafa Nadal, which was named after him in 2017.

Editor's note: This story was translated from ATPTour.com/es