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Winning an ATP title is always a special moment in a player's career, putting him in the spotlight of many tennis fans around the world. The taste of victory is even better when you claim the crown without losing a set, a specialty of the legends from the past like Ivan Lendl, John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors.
Since the beginning of the ATP Tour in 1990, Rafael Nadal has been the most dominant player in that segment, with 27 ATP titles won without losing a set. The first of those came already in 2004 in Sopot when he was 18, with more coming in Acapulco and Stuttgart in 2005, all on his beloved clay.
Two years later, the Spaniard stood above all the others in Indian Wells with six straight sets triumphs, repeating the feat in Monte Carlo and Barcelona and barely missing a chance at Roland Garros where he lost one set against Roger Federer in the final.
In 2008, Rafa was the player to beat on clay once again, lifting trophies in Monte Carlo and Roland Garros in dominant style and writing history as one of only five players in the Open era who claimed a Major crown without losing a set.
Nadal did the same in 2010 and had the opportunity for another notable trophy without dropping a set at the US Open, beating Novak Djokovic 3-1 in the final. Two years later, Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Rome proved to be perfect events for Nadal again, with one set lost in the final at Roland Garros against Novak Djokovic.
After Roland Garros 2014, Nadal experienced two and a half rough years due to injuries, returning even stronger in 2017 when he claimed the third Roland Garros title without losing a set, doing the same in Monte Carlo and Barcelona next spring and having to wait for some time to add the 27th trophy of this kind to his collection.
It came at the end of February in Acapulco when Rafa lost only 25 games in ten sets, struggling in only one set against Miomir Kecmanovic and toppling the rivals in all the others to bring the title home and join the legends from the past on the special list, leaving Roger Federer on 21 titles without losing a set and Novak Djokovic on 19.