Rafael Nadal has now been ranked in the ATP Tour Top 20 for 800 consecutive weeks. He ranked inside the Top 20 for the first time on April 4, 2005 and hasn’t dropped out since. Call it another impressive statistic on a resume filled with them.
The other two players are Roger Federer, who has been in the Top 20 since April 23, 2001 (with 734 in a row in the top-10), and Jimmy Connors, having spent 860 weeks in the Top 20 between 1973 and 1990.
Rafa can upstage both Federer and Connors if he holds his place inside the Top 20 over the next 14 months.
Congratulations, Rafa!
Please be careful in Australia you and your team vamos rafa 8
Come back in March of 2022 as I know Rafa will be owning this specific record for sure. Looking for Rafa to come back roaring fiercely next year. I’m ready to leave this horrible year behind as I’m sure Rafa is as well.
Happy New Year to all Rafa loving members. Hope your 2021 will have good things to celebrate with your family and friends. We’re all here to celebrate Rafa’s great year and another year where he wins his 3rd ATP Sportsmanship award in a row.
Vamos Rafa best wishes for 2021 and beyond! 🙂
Well said Sharina, I totally agree with you. I can’t wait to have tennis back, especially Rafa, in 2021. Best wishes & Good luck Rafa for the new season. Also best wishes to your friend Roger Federer for a speedy recovery. I am looking forward to watching many more battles between you.
Great achivement❤️
Yes, thank you David and Margo for the update. I feel lost in the wilderness without my usual binge of tennis. Delray Beach is scheduled for Jan 4th – 13th and I’m hoping it will go ahead as planned and be televised for me to watch. Give me some tennis please, ANY tennis!!
Lorna, you’re welcome.
About being able to watch tennis [Delray], I recently read Gaudenzi’s vision or “new business model” for the Sport and digital opportunities. If it succeeds, fans won’t be forced to get different subscriptions, or use different apps to watch tennis. It’s too early for Delray, of course, but he’s working for a “unified” tennis in all aspects. His thinking is that fans come first because without fans there wouldn’t be an ATP, ITF, WTA, or the other organizations.
He also will push for a 50/50 share in proceeds after tournaments deduct the money expended for improvements, etc., he wants transparency with regard to costs vs. profits.
He wants an extended and bigger draw for the Masters series which will allow more players to participate in tournaments.
He also mentioned a prizes schedule so that money won’t become an issue every year. Remember that Chris Kermode mentioned this on the podcast you generously recommended.
The Slams will require a nuanced approach as you can imagine.
The ATP website has posted its schedule.
According to the ATP, the 2021 calendar beginning with the Spring clay-court season from week 14, remain unchanged at this time, with all tournaments planned to take place as originally scheduled.
Q1 runs from January 5 to April 4 which is included in the recent announcement above and is on the website.
Hopefully the clay season will run smoothly and wish Rafa the “bestest” at the AO.
Aside from the schedule there are two items of note at Tennis.com. Rafa, Roger, Andy and others are named as ATP Players Council members. President to be elected at next meeting.
Also Rafa to arrive in Australia on January 12. I am so looking forward to the AO. Rafa will be in top form & there will be fans in the stands.
Thank you Margo and David for the information🙏
Looking forward to a more “normal” 2021 season.
Good luck to Rafa. Hope he will win his second AO trophy!❤️
Yes David, I wonder who will be voted president and vice president. And no date yet for the first meeting. Please keep an eye open. I will also keep checking.
Some players did vote for Djokovic but after he showed up on ballots the ATP passed an amended rule that no one can be a member of both the ATP council and a “competing” organization.” Persona non grata seems to be confused stating the PTPA is not in competition with the ATP. I think he’s miffed.
Isn’t January 12 early for Rafa to arrive. Were the rules relaxed about where players would quarantine?
You’re welcome Mimi. Can’t wait for the Rafa. Getting more excited as time draws near to when he will be back on stage. So hoping for another AO win but the competition is going to be strong. I hope Rafa is stronger.
I can’t wait to see you live Rafa, at times I turn my TV on and off when you play because of the pressure and fear of the out come. Remember you not alone in the tenis cort court, your fans are rallying behind you. Make us proud Rafa come 2021
That’s staying power! Hats off to Rafa.
Congrats Rafa, well done!
Congratulations on your achievement, Rafa 👏❤️
Hello, as I have seen your pseudo for a long time, I guess you are a real Rafa’s fan and I wanted to share with you some strange things that happen on this site. I have left some comments on the site. I can’t write any comments on other videos and read the other’s comments. I let some today but I can’t see them appearing. I am wondering why. If you know, please feel free to tell me. Thank you in advance.