Yesterday February was ending and in just two months it can be said that 2022, year that started with the success of Paula Badosa at the WTA 500 of Sydney, has already been more successful for men’s Spanish tennis than all of 2021. Spain has seen a total of seven trophies (out of eighteen held so far): three by Rafa Nadal (Melbourne, Australian Open and Acapulco) and one by Albert Ramos (Córdoba), Carlos Alcaraz (Río), Roberto Bautista (Doha) and Pedro Martínez (Chile).
and to all this you have to add the victory by Feliciano López in doubles with Tsitsipas in Acapulco and the aforementioned triumph of Badosa in the opening Australian event that augurs the possibility of increasing his revenue from the two in 2021 (Belgrade and Indian Wells). The Spanish born in New York, 6th in the world, she is taking a qualitative leap in women’s tennis together with Muguruza (9th), although this year the woman from Caracas is having a hard time reaching the final rounds while that in 2021 won the WTA Finals in Mexico, Chicago and Dubai. Both, along with Sara Sorribes (Guadalajara), added six wins in total.
For its part, The seven ATP singles titles are already more than the six that the ‘Armada’ garnered in 2021: Nadal won in Barcelona and Rome, Carreño did the same in Hamburg and Andalusia, and completed Ramos in Estoril and Alcaraz in Umag. The Murcian also took the NextGen Finals, but the ATP does not count it as an official victory. Rain of triumphs that leave the only two ATP of 2020 far away, year in which the pandemic played a key role.
Nadal is still the benchmark
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The years go by and the undisputed leader remains Rafael Nadal. The Balearic (35 years) He has signed the best start of his career. Unbeaten in these two months already has 15 games won, three tournaments won and no losses. All this despite missing the second half of 2021 due to an injury that could end his career. He won the ATP250 from melbourneafter overcoming the coronavirus, and reached an Australian Open that ended up becoming one of the most special moments of his career. With Djokovic out due to his expulsion not being vaccinated and Federer still not playing, Nadal did not miss the opportunity and after beating Medvedev in an epic final, coming back from two sets down, added his Grand Slam number 21, breaking up on top from the top with Serbian and Swiss.
A week later came another cause for celebration. Ramos won the Cordoba Open on the Argentine clay. Fourth title in the Catalan’s career, all of them on the same surface. Two more victories came on February 21. in Doha, Robert Baptist he took revenge on Nikoloz Basilashvili, who had won the final of the same tournament in 2021. With this 250 category event, the Castellón native ended a three-year drought without winning championships on the circuit.
Alcaraz, present and future
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The other own name of that day was the one who harbors the greatest hopes for the future. Carlos Alcaraz, At 18 years old, he imposed himself on the ATP 500 in Rio de Janeiro. For this, the Murcian defeated rivals of the stature of Berrettini and Schwartzman, and thanks to this he slipped into the world Top-20. The future is his, but Alcaraz has taken it upon himself to demonstrate that the present is also his.
Last Sunday a Spanish triplet arrived. In Santiago de Chile, Pedro Martínez premiered his record on the circuit with his first ATP 250 and climbs to 50th place in the world. The Valencian became the 12th active Spaniard who has achieved at least one circuit tournament. Joins a list they’re on Nadal, Alcaraz, Carreño, Bautista, Feliciano, Verdasco, Ramos, Davidovich, Andújar, Carballés and Granollers.
Nadal completed his trio in Acapulco a few hours after Feliciano López, from Toledo (40 years old) put the first X in the doubles box and his first tournament won since 2019. Third event that the Balearic brings to his showcases this year and 15 games won consecutively this season, in addition to already adding 91 trophies in the career of the greatest Spanish tennis legend, which has risen to fourth place in the ranking. Badosa inaugurated the year and, for the moment, Martínez closes it.