2006 Rafael Nadal tennis season

The 2006 Rafael Nadal tennis season started in February as Nadal missed the Australian Open because of a foot injury.[3] Nadal won five singles titles in 2006.

Main article: Rafael Nadal
2006 Rafael Nadal tennis season
Full nameRafael Nadal Parera
Country Spain
Calendar prize money$3,746,360 (Singles $3,732,760, Doubles $13,600)[1][2]
Singles
Season record59–12 (83.1%)
Calendar titles5
Year-end rankingNo. 2
Ranking change from previous year
Grand Slam & significant results
Australian OpenDNS
French OpenW
WimbledonF
US OpenQF
Injuries
InjuriesKnee injury
← 2005
2007 →
Nadal in 2006

Hard court

In February, Nadal lost in the semifinals of the first tournament he played, the Open 13 tournament in Marseille, France. Two weeks later, he handed Roger Federer his first loss of the year in the final of the Dubai Duty Free Men's Open (in 2006, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray were the only two men who defeated Federer). To complete the spring hard-court season, Nadal was upset in the semifinals of the Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells, California, by James Blake, and was upset in the second round of the 2006 Miami Masters.

Clay season

On European clay, Nadal won all four tournaments he entered and 24 consecutive matches. He defeated Federer in the final of the Masters Series Monte Carlo in four sets. The following week, he defeated Tommy Robredo in the final of the Open Sabadell Atlántico tournament in Barcelona. After a one-week break, Nadal won the Masters Series Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome, defeating Federer in a fifth-set tiebreaker in the final, after saving two match points and equaling Björn Borg's tally of 16 ATP titles won as a teenager. Nadal broke Argentinian Guillermo Vilas's 29-year male record of 53 consecutive clay-court match victories by winning his first round match at the French Open. Vilas presented Nadal with a trophy, but commented later that Nadal's feat was less impressive than his own because Nadal's winning streak covered two years and was accomplished by adding easy tournaments to his schedule.[4]

Nadal went on to play Federer in the final of the French Open. The first two sets of the match were hardly competitive, as the rivals traded 6–1 sets. Nadal won the third set easily and served for the match in the fourth set before Federer broke him and forced a tiebreaker. Nadal won the tiebreaker and became the first player to defeat Federer in a Grand Slam tournament final.[5]

2006 Roland Garros champion

Nadal injured his shoulder while playing a quarterfinal match against Lleyton Hewitt at the Artois Championships, played on grass at the Queen's Club in London.[6] Nadal was unable to complete the match, which ended his 26-match winning streak.

Wimbledon

Nadal was seeded second at Wimbledon, but was two points from defeat against American qualifier Robert Kendrick in the second round before coming back to win in five sets. In the third round, Nadal defeated world No. 20 Andre Agassi in straight sets in Agassi's last career match at Wimbledon. Nadal also won his next three matches in straight sets, which set up his first Wimbledon final, which was against Federer, who had won this tournament the three previous years. Nadal was the first Spanish man since Manuel Santana in 1966, to reach the Wimbledon final, but Federer won the match in four sets to win his fourth consecutive Wimbledon title.

US Open Series

During the lead up to the US Open, Nadal played the two Masters Series tournaments in North America. He was upset in the third round of the Rogers Cup in Toronto and the quarterfinals of the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters in Cincinnati. Nadal was seeded second at the US Open, but lost in the quarterfinals to world No. 54 Mikhail Youzhny of Russia in four sets.

Nadal played only three tournaments the remainder of the year. Joachim Johansson, ranked world No. 690, upset Nadal in the second round of the Stockholm Open. The following week, Nadal lost to Tomáš Berdych in the quarterfinals of the year's last Masters Series tournament, the Mutua Madrileña Masters in Madrid. During the round-robin stage of the year-ending Tennis Masters Cup, Nadal lost to James Blake but defeated Nikolay Davydenko and Robredo. Because of those two victories, Nadal qualified for the semifinals, where he lost to Federer. This was Nadal's third loss in nine career matches with Federer.

Singles matches
Tournament Match Round Opponent Rank Result Score
Open 13
Marseille, France
ATP World Tour 250
Hard, indoor
13 – 19 February 2006		 1 / 164 1R Olivier Rochus 30
Win
 4–6, 6–2, 7–5
2 / 165 2R Gilles Simon 80
Win
 7–5, 6–4
3 / 166 QF Paul-Henri Mathieu 35
Win
 7–5, 6–4
4 / 167 SF Arnaud Clement 65
Loss
 6–2, 3–6, 5–7
Dubai Tennis Championships
Dubai, U. A. E.
ATP World Tour 500
Hard, outdoor
27 February – 5 March 2006		 5 / 168 1R Paul-Henri Mathieu 34
Win
 6–7(5–7), 6–1, 6–2
– 2R Younes El Aynaoui 211
Win
 (W/O)
6 / 169 QF Tim Henman 49
Win
 7–6(7–1), 6–1
7 / 170 SF Rainer Schuttler 98
Win
 6–4, 6–2
8 / 171 W Roger Federer 1
Win (1)
 2–6, 6–4, 6–4
Pacific Life Open
Indian Wells, United States
ATP World Tour Masters 1000
Hard, outdoor
6 – 19 March 2006		 – 1R Bye
9 / 172 2R Jan Hernych 87
Win
 6–4, 6–4
10 / 173 3R Mardy Fish 294
Win
 6–1, 6–4
11 / 174 4R Sebastien Grosjean 22
Win
 6–4, 6–2
12 / 175 QF Marcos Baghdatis 27
Win
 7–5, 6–0
13 / 176 SF James Blake 14
Loss
 5–7, 3–6
Sony Ericsson Open
Miami, United States
ATP World Tour Masters 1000
Hard, outdoor
20 March – 2 April 2006		 – 1R Bye
14 / 177 2R Carlos Moya 35
Loss
 6–2, 1–6, 1–6
Monte Carlo Masters
Monte Carlo, Monaco
ATP World Tour Masters 1000
Clay, outdoor
15 – 23 April 2006		 15 / 178 1R Arnaud Clement 56
Win
 6–4, 6–4
16 / 179 2R Jean-Rene Lisnard 154
Win
 6–4, 6–1
17 / 180 3R Kristof Vliegen 57
Win
 6–3, 6–3
18 / 181 QF Guillermo Coria 9
Win
 6–2, 6–1
19 / 182 SF Gastón Gaudio 8
Win
 5–7, 6–1, 6–1
20 / 183 W Roger Federer 1
Win (2)
 6–2, 6–7(2–7), 6–3, 7–6(7–5)
Torneo Godo
Barcelona, Spain
ATP World Tour 500
Clay, outdoor
24 – 30 April 2006		 – 1R Bye
21 / 184 2R Feliciano Lopez 38
Win
 6–4, 6–2
22 / 185 3R Ivan Navarro 164
Win
 6–4, 6–2
23 / 186 QF Jarkko Nieminen 16
Win
 4–6, 6–4, 6–3
24 / 187 SF Nicolas Almagro 57
Win
 7–6(7–2), 6–3
25 / 188 W Tommy Robredo 15
Win (3)
 6–4, 6–4, 6–0
Internazionali BNL d'Italia
Rome, Italy
ATP World Tour Masters 1000
Clay, outdoor
8 – 14 May 2006		 28 / 189 1R Carlos Moya 33
Win
 6–1, 2–6, 6–2
27 / 190 2R Filippo Volandri 46
Win
 6–1, 6–2
28 / 191 3R Tim Henman 70
Win
 6–2, 6–2
29 / 192 QF Fernando Gonzalez 9
Win
 6–4, 6–3
30 / 193 SF Gael Monfils 35
Win
 6–2, 6–2
31 / 194 W Roger Federer 1
Win (4)
6–7(0–7), 7–6(7–5), 6–4, 2–6, 7–6(7–5)
French Open
Paris, France
Grand Slam
Clay, outdoor
29 May – 11 June 2006		 32 / 195 1R Robin Soderling 50
Win
 6–2, 7–5, 6–1
33 / 196 2R Kevin Kim 116
Win
 6–2, 6–1, 6–4
34 / 197 3R Paul-Henri Mathieu 32
Win
 5–7, 6–4, 6–4, 6–4
35 / 198 4R Lleyton Hewitt 14
Win
 6–2, 5–7, 6–4, 6–2
36 / 199 QF Novak Djokovic 63
Win
 6–4, 6–4 RET
37 / 200 SF Ivan Ljubicic 4
Win
 6–4, 6–2, 7–6(9–7)
38 / 201 W Roger Federer 1
Win (5)
 1–6, 6–1, 6–4, 7–6(7–4)
Stella Artois Championships
London, United Kingdom
ATP World Tour 250
Grass, outdoor
12 – 18 June 2006		 – 1R Bye
39 / 202 2R Mardy Fish 86
Win
 7–6(7–1), 6–1
40 / 203 3R Fernando Verdasco 30
Win
 2–6, 7–6(7–3), 7–6(7–3)
41 / 204 QF Lleyton Hewitt 13
Loss
 6–3, 3–6 RET
The Championships, Wimbledon
Wimbledon, United Kingdom
Grand Slam
Grass, outdoor
26 June – 9 July 2006		 42 / 205 1R Alex Bogdanovic 135
Win
 6–4, 7–6(7–3), 6–4
43 / 206 2R Robert Kendrick 237
Win
 6–7(4–7), 3–6, 7–6(7–2), 7–5, 6–4
44 / 207 3R Andre Agassi 20
Win
 7–6(7–5), 6–2, 6–4
45 / 208 4R Irakli Labadze 166
Win
 6–3, 7–6(7–4), 6–3
46 / 209 QF Jarkko Nieminen 18
Win
 6–3, 6–4, 6–4
47 / 210 SF Marcos Baghdatis 16
Win
 6–1, 7–5, 6–3
48 / 211 F Roger Federer 1
Loss (1)
 0–6, 6–7(5–7), 7–6(7–2), 3–6
Rogers Cup
Montreal, Canada
ATP World Tour Masters 1000
Hard, outdoor
7 – 13 August 2006		 49 / 212 1R Nicolás Massú 38
Win
 6–3, 6–2
50 / 213 2R Hyung-Taik Lee 85
Win
 6–4, 6–3
51 / 214 3R Tomas Berdych 14
Loss
 1–6, 6–3, 2–6
Western & Southern Financial Group Masters
Cincinnati, United States
ATP World Tour Masters 1000
Hard, outdoor
14 – 20 August 2006		 52 / 215 1R Sam Querrey 178
Win
 6–7(5–7), 6–2, 6–3
53 / 216 2R Hyung-Taik Lee 73
Win
 6–4, 6–3
54 / 217 3R Tommy Haas 17
Win
 7–6(7–5), 6–3
55 / 218 QF Juan Carlos Ferrero 31
Loss
 6–7(2–7), 6–7(3–7)
US Open
New York, USA
Grand Slam
Hard, outdoor
28 August – 10 September 2006		 56 / 219 1R Mark Phillipoussis 113
Win
 6–4, 6–4, 6–4
57 / 220 2R Luis Horna 61
Win
 6–4, 4–6, 6–4, 6–2
58 / 221 3R Wesley Moodie 82
Win
 6–4, 7–6(7–4), 7–6(7–5)
59 / 222 4R Jiri Novak 179
Win
 6–1, 7–6(7–3), 6–4
60 / 223 QF Mikhail Youzhny 54
Loss
 3–6, 7–5, 6–7(5–7), 1–6
Davis Cup, ITA v/s ESP World Group Play Offs
Spain
Davis Cup
Clay, outdoor
18 – 24 September 2006		 61 / 224 RR Andreas Seppi 69
Win
 6–0, 6–4, 6–3
62 / 225 RR Filippo Volandri 38
Win
 3–6, 7–5, 6–3, 6–3
If Stockholm Open
Stockholm, Sweden
ATP World Tour 250
Hard, indoor
9 – 15 October 2006		 63 / 226 1R Raemon Sluiter 90
Win
 6–4, 6–2
64 / 227 2R Joachim Johansson 690
Loss
 4–6, 6–7(4–7)
Mutua Madrileña Masters Madrid
Madrid, Spain
ATP World Tour Masters 1000
Hard, indoor
16 – 22 October 2006		 – 1R Bye
65 / 228 2R Mardy Fish 54
Win
 6–4, 6–2
66 / 229 3R Tommy Haas 13
Win
 6–4, 6–3
67 / 230 QF Tomas Berdych 11
Loss
 3–6, 6–7(6–8)
Tennis Masters Cup
Shanghai, China
Year-end Championships
Hard, indoor
13 – 19 November 2006		 68 / 231 RR James Blake 8
Loss
 4–6, 6–7(0–7)
69 / 232 RR Tommy Robredo 6
Win
 7–6(7–2), 6–2
70 / 233 RR Nikolay Davydenko 3
Win
 5–7, 6–4, 6–4
71 / 234 SF Roger Federer 1
Loss
 4–6, 5–7

Year end ranking

Nadal went on to become the first player since Andre Agassi in 1994–95 to finish the year as the world No. 2 in consecutive years.

See also

References
  1. https://www.atpworldtour.com/players/rafael-nadal/n409/player-activity?year=2006&matchType=singles
  2. https://www.atpworldtour.com/players/rafael-nadal/n409/player-activity?year=2006&matchType=doubles
  3. "Champion Safin out of Aussie Open". BBC Sport. 10 January 2006. Retrieved 13 November 2008.
  4. Garber, Greg (31 May 2006). "With Vilas in stands, Nadal makes history". ESPN Tennis/French06. ESPN. Retrieved 13 November 2008.
  5. Garber, Greg (12 June 2006). "Roger's reign on hold with Nadal's dominance". ESPN Tennis/French06. ESPN. Retrieved 13 November 2008.
  6. "Shoulder Forces Nadal To Quit London Match". The New York Times. 17 June 2006. Retrieved 13 November 2008.
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