Rafael Nadal's longevity and consistency at the top level has enabled him to crack another remarkable milestone that only three other men have pulled off in the past.
Nadal has competed and stayed at the top level for almost two decades, and it doesn't look like he is stopping anytime soon, even as he enters his late thirties.
Maintaining a spot in the world's Top 10 of the ATP rankings is a major challenge, and not a lot of players can do it over a prolonged period lasting decades. Aside from requiring a clean bill of health, it calls for exceptional results against the best players.
Nadal maintained his top-10 status for many years despite not being healthy and being forced to withdraw from more big tournaments than his rivals in the last twenty years. Now, at age 36, he is back in the top three after a career-best start to a season in which he won three titles in the first two months.
Nadal won the Australian Open and, most recently, the French Open and was a semifinalist at Wimbledon. He has since overtaken Novak Djokovic into the top three despite the Serbian defending his Wimbledon title (the ATP removed ranking points from the tournament).
Nadal's return to the top three has significant meaning because he became the fourth oldest player to be ranked in the top three since the ATP rankings were incepted in the 1970s.
The oldest top-three-ranked player ever is Ken Rosewall, who was 40. The second oldest is Roger Federer, who was ranked in the Top three at age 38 in 2019. Rod Laver is the third oldest at 36, and Nadal now joins him as the fourth oldest to ever be ranked in the top three at 36 years and one month.
Oldest players ranked in the top 3 since 1973:
| Player | Age (Year) |
|---|---|
| Ken Rosewall | 40y 7m (1975) |
| Roger Federer | 38y 6m (2019) |
| Rod Laver | 36y 8m (1975) |
| Rafael Nadal | 36y 1m (2022) |
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