Related items

• Nadal's 'unfathomable' French Open record will not be matched, says Chang

  Rafael Nadal's dominance on the clay courts remains "unfathomable" and will not be matched in our lifetime, says former French Open champion Michael Chang.

  Chang is still the youngest man to win a singles major, doing so aged 17 years and 109 days at the 1989 French Open, but the former professional believes no one will come close to the retiring Nadal.

  The Spaniard will bring an end to his storied career after next month's Davis Cup Finals on home soil in Malaga, having managed 22 grand slam titles in total.

  A remarkable 14 of those came at the French Open, the most of any player at a single major in history, and Chang cannot see another competitor getting close to Nadal's exploits.

  Asked by Stats Perform if another player can dominate like Nadal at Roland-Garros, Chang said: "It's difficult to say. I don't think we'll see anyone as dominant as Rafa on clay in our lifetime.

  "His record is unbelievable. For him to win 14 French Opens is unfathomable."

  Nadal's unbelievable 96.6% win rate at the French Open (112 wins from 116 matches) is the best of any player at a grand slam event in men's singles.

  Indeed, only Novak Djokovic (twice), Robin Soderling and Alexander Zverev have ever beaten the 38-year-old at the tournament.

  His 14-0 record in Roland-Garros finals is also the best recorded by anyone at an event in the Open Era, with Chang lauding his dominance on clay, as well as his adaptability on other surfaces.

  "He grew up playing on clay in Spain, and being a lefty, for him to know the angles and calculations better than anyone else," Chang added.

   

  "What's amazing is that he's been able to take that style of play and modify it for success on grass and hard courts.

  "We've had great clay-court players who couldn't translate that success to other surfaces, but Rafa is not one of them.

  "His volleying skills are among the best on tour, which you wouldn't normally say about other Spanish players, except for [Carlos] Alcaraz now."

  Only three tournaments have been won more than 10 times by the same player in the Open Era – Roland-Garros (14), Barcelona (12) and Monte-Carlo (11), all by Nadal on the clay.

  For that reason, Chang believes Nadal's legacy will leave a long-lasting impression on those who witnessed his greatness on the French clay.

  "It is incredible what he has done at the French Open and his passion and love for winning there is incredible. His record speaks for itself," Chang concluded.

• Nadal knew the time was right to move on, says Chang

  Michael Chang feels Rafael Nadal knew the time was right to move on after confirming his impending retirement.

  Nadal announced last week that he would call time on his glittering playing career after the Davis Cup Finals, which will take place in Malaga next month.

  The 38-year-old, who has won 22 grand slam titles, with his last coming at Roland-Garros in 2022, has struggled with injury in recent seasons, and has not played a singles match since losing to old foe Novak Djokovic at the Paris Olympics.

  Chang, who is the youngest man in history to win a singles major, having clinched the 1989 French Open at the age of 17 years and 109 days, believes Nadal has made the right call.

  He told Stats Perform: "I think we all knew he was nearing the end of his career. With the injuries he's had over the past couple of years, he knew it was coming sooner rather than later.

  "To be honest, we would have thought that this generation, between Roger [Federer], Rafa, Andy [Murray], and Novak would have retired a few years ago, but their love for the sport is truly amazing.

  "Their dedication and competitive spirit really kept them out there for so long, still competing at an extremely high level. It's one thing to be out there and just chugging along, but these guys are still winning grand slams and vying for grand slams.

  "Roger and Rafa did it for so long, and obviously, Novak's still going, it's incredible. Rafa has accomplished everything you could in the sport of tennis, and he's unbelievably well-respected in every regard, whether you're a tennis fan or not.

  "You would never want to see a champion like that go, but it’s time to move on. You can't play at this level forever, but the times we've had to enjoy him on tour and witness so many unbelievable matches around the world, it's certainly been a joy to watch and witness."

  Djokovic (24) is the only man to win more major titles than Nadal, who has won a record 14 French Open crowns.

  And while Chang is unsure if Nadal ranks as the greatest of all time, the 52-year-old believes other factors than grand slam titles must come into consideration.

   

  "I think for him to be known as one of the greatest tennis players that we've ever seen is special," Chang added.

  "I think there's no question that Novak, as far as results go and titles go and grand slam titles go, there's no question that his results stand above everybody else, but when we think about these great champions, you think about their admirable qualities.

  "Rafa's grit, heart, forehand, his ability to move and get around, the mental toughness in intense situations, is remarkable.

  "Those are the things we'll remember about him as a tennis player. His interactions with fans and fellow players also show he's extremely well-respected. Those are the qualities we will always remember. I hope he stays involved in the tennis scene because he'll always be a great ambassador for the sport."

  When it comes to Nadal's legacy, Chang believes the Spaniard's character is what sets him apart.

  He said: "That's one of the reasons he's so admired. All tennis players want to do well; they want to reach number one and win grand slam tournaments, but some players have a more selfish mentality and don't care much about others or what they think.

  "Rafa is not like that. He takes time to give back, he takes time for fans, and he appreciates people coming to watch him play. He has a ton of respect for everyone he comes in contact with and because of the way he's conducted himself on and off the court, people admire him as more than just a tennis player.

  "Look at what he's done for Spanish tennis, he's inspired the next generations and embraced them. He's been nothing but complimentary towards this new generation of players, like Carlos Alcaraz leading the way."

• Sinner behind only Nadal and Djokovic after speeding to year-end number one

  Jannik Sinner confirmed his place at the top of the ATP year-end world rankings, with only two players in history having done so quicker.

  Sinner had actually sealed his spot at the summit with his semi-final victory over Tomas Machac before defeating Novak Djokovic 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 to win the Shanghai Masters title on Sunday.

  On the back of his title run, Sinner – who picked up 910 points to move to a grand total of 11,920 – has opened up an unassailable 4,800-point lead over Carlos Alcaraz in the standings.

  And only Djokovic and the soon-to-be-retired Nadal have managed to seal the year-end number-one spot earlier in a season than Sinner, since the ATP rankings were modified in 2009.

  Djokovic was crowned as 2015's year-end number one on September 14, while Nadal secured that position for the 2010 rankings on October 9 of that year.

  Sinner has won 65 of his 71 Tour-level matches this year, and claimed seven trophies, including the Australian Open and US Open.

  The 23-year-old is the 19th player to claim the year-end world number-one ranking and just the fourth active player, joining Djokovic, Nadal and Alcaraz.

  He has already held top spot for 17 weeks, and ranks 18th among the 29 players who have reached world number one for weeks spent at the top of the pile.