Rafael Nadal out of the top 10: the other tennis stars praise the Spaniard

• Tennis News
• Rafael Nadal

912 weeks later, the day has come: Rafael Nadal has dropped out of the top 10 after his first entry in 2005. 17 years, 10 months and 25 days after the Spanish tennis player says goodbye to the top tier of the ATP ranking. An exit that had already been expected since the beginning of March, as the number two from Spain was unable to defend the final conquered last year in Indian Wells.

Considering the points also won by his opponents, the twenty-two times Grand Slam champion has slipped to thirteenth position in the ranking: everything could change on clay, where his return is expected in this 2023 of ups and downs.

That of Rafael Nadal remains an incredible milestone, which his colleagues, younger and older, wanted to celebrate.

The tribute to Nadal: from Medvedev to Zverev

In a video message from the ATP, which pays tribute to the fourteen-time champion at the French Open, the tennis players of the men's Tour wanted to celebrate the end of this record and this domination.

"He is an immense champion. 912 consecutive weeks, it doesn't even feel like an impossible goal anymore, but only because Rafa made it possible," said Daniil Medvedev. "It's already an incredible achievement to be in the top 10 for 17 or 18 years, but to do it without ever going out once is an extraordinary achievement," adds Alexander Zverev.

"Amazing," says Felix Auger Aliassime, while Casper Ruud looks to the near future: "Now he already has the chance to go back there, to stay in the top 10, for 912 weeks it's something incredible!" Not only tennis players of the present, but also those who shared the tennis court with him in the past.

In fact, Tommy Haas, CEO of the BNP Paribas Open, says in a video: "He lives for this sport, he puts it first; his mentality, his will to win, it's all incredible. You have to recognize the endless determination, for this he will still be the favorite for the Roland Garros."