Rafael Nadal and a memorable legacy in Acapulco ATP 500 | ATP Tour

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Nadal and a memorable legacy in Acapulco ATP 500

The Spanish won the first of its four Acapulco title 20 years ago

February 24, 2025

Regardless of the surface of the Mexican Open Telcel presented by HSBC, Rafael Nadal found a way to win.

With four wins – two in clay, two on a hard track – Nadal shares the record of titles won in Acapulco with Thomas Muster and David Ferrer. However, the old No. 1 of the PIF ATP Rankings has an incomparable effectiveness of 92% in the tournament.

Before the 2025 edition, which will mark the 20th anniversary of the first Spanish title in Acapulco, Atptour.com recalls Nadal’s milestones in the Mexican event.

2005: A dream debut for Nadal
Winning the title in your first participation is one of the best ways to conquer the heart of the public, and Nadal has been an expert in this area. The Spanish arrived in Acapulco for the first time in 2005 in full form, after winning in Costa Do Sauipe its second ATP Tour crown. His performance at the Mexican Open Telcel presented by HSBC was up to the expected.

As the eighth manager, Nadal completed a dream week raising the trophy on the Mexican coast without delivering a set. The Spanish reserved its best level for the final, defeating its compatriot Albert Montañés 6-1, 6-0 in just 52 minutes. This was the second of the 11 titles achieved that season by the Balearic, which would catch the first of its 14 Roland Garros trophies just three months later.

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^{_{Rafael Nadal wins his first Acapulco title in 2005. Photography: Omar Torres/Getty Images against Albert Montañés}}

2013: A big return
Seven years later, Nadal returned to Acapulco in 2013 as a World Cup and 51 titles in his record, including 11 Grand Slam crowns. The Spanish, however, had just been in competition for three weeks on his return to ATP Tour after being separated for seven months for a knee injury.

Nadal showed symptoms of improvement during the previous week in Sao Paulo, but in Acapulco he exhibited a totally different level. The Spanish collected memorable performances on the way to his second title without giving a set, including a firm victory over the three -time champion and main head of David Ferrer in the final.

“Three hours ago I would not have imagined that I would play at this level,” Nadal said after defeating Ferrer 6-0, 6-2. “I am happy, I am excited after suffering so long. Returning and playing at this level before one of the best players in the world is something totally new to me. The feeling is incredible, I want to cry without stopping.”

The 2013 edition of the Mexican Open Telcel presented by HSBC was the last one held on whipped land. The tournament faced a transition to the hard track, a challenge that the Spanish accepted to continue raising the trophy.

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2020 and 2022: Nadal completes the poker
After suffering his first two defeats in Acapulco (F 2017, R2 2019), Nadal returned in 2020 with a pending goal in the tournament. The then No. 2 World Cup linked victories against Grigor Dimitrov and Taylor Fritz in another star edition, raising the trophy without giving only one for the third time in Acapulco.

As if it were the destination, Nadal won his latest ATP Tour title in Acapulco 2022, raising his fourth crown to match the Muster and Ferrer record in the tournament. The triumph supposed the icing on a star start of the 2022 season, where the Spanish armed a streak of 20 consecutive victories including titles in the ATP 250 of Melbourne, the Australian and Acapulco Open.

“It has always been a special place for me,” Nadal said about Acapulco, where he recorded a 25-2 balance throughout his career. “The energy that the people of Mexico transmit to me is unique, I can only thank. I am very satisfied. This title is very important for me, I cannot feel happier.”

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