Rafael Nadal becomes first player in Open Era to win at least 450 matches on two surfaces

Tennis legend Rafael Nadal continues to break and make new records in the sport. Nadal defeated Great Britain’s Cameron Norrie in straight sets by 6-1, 6-4 to qualify for the semi-final of the Barcelona Open. This was Nadal’s 450th win on clay as he has now become the first player in Open Era to win at least 450 matches on two different surfaces.

Nadal has an overall record of 1013-206 on tour and he continues his domination on clay. The lefty tally of 450 clay court wins is also the third-highest on the surface. The Spaniard is behind Guillermo Vilas (681) and Manuel Orantes (569).

On the other hand, the 20-time slam champion has won 490 matches on hardcourt. Roger Federer (783), Novak Djokovic (613) and Andre Agassi (592) have won more matches than Nadal on hardcourt.

Nadal also has won 71 matches on grass and had won Wimbledon in 2008 and 2010. The southpaw has been a consistent performer in the last 15 years and he has delivered in all the conditions. In fact, Nadal has a never-say-never attitude on the court and he never gives up while chasing the ball, which plays a key role in his success.

Meanwhile, after registering his 450th win on his favourite surface, Nadal went on to win the Barcelona Open for the 12th time in his glorious career. In fact, Nadal has a 100% record in Barcelona finals. The Spaniard defeated Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 6-7, 7-5 after battling for three hours and 37 minutes.

The 22-year-old Greek had defeated Nadal in the quarterfinal of the Australian Open despite being two sets down but Nadal was able to get his revenge in Barcelona. Nadal came up with a fine performance and even saved a match point to go past Tsitsipas.