PARIS: Rafael Nadal defied the career obituary writers with his stunning renaissance in 2013 as he and fellow major winners Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray cut struggling Roger Federer adrift.
Nadal was sport’s comeback man of the year, collecting 10 titles from 14 finals, including a landmark eighth French Open, a second US Open which took his career majors tally to 13, and a record 26th Masters.
He ended the season with 75 wins against just seven losses and another $14.5 million banked to take his career earnings past the $60 million mark.
It was a rebirth that got off to a faltering start when the Spaniard, who had been out of action for seven months, reappeared at the modest Chilean venue of Vina del Mar in February.
His run to the final was ended by Horacio Zeballos, ensuring the journeyman Argentine a rare mention in despatches.
But from then on, Rafa was rolling. He swept to Masters titles in Indian Wells, Madrid and Rome with his defeat in the final of the Monte Carlo Masters at the hands of Djokovic, which denied him a ninth successive triumph in the principality, an unexpected blip.
The 27-year-old then beat compatriot David Ferrer in the final of the French Open to become the first man to win eight Roland Garros crowns.
On the way to another Paris triumph, he had stared down Djokovic in a classic semi-final duel, fighting back from 2-4 down in the deciding set.
Nadal’s bittersweet relationship with Wimbledon took another twist two weeks later when the 2008 and 2010 champion crashed to defeat on the first day to Steve Darcis, the world 135 from Belgium.
Was that a sign all the old physical frailities were about to conspire once again against him? Not really.
He took a time-out, headed off to North America, captured the Masters in Montreal and Cincinnati before claiming his second US Open title with a four-set win over Djokovic.
By November, Nadal had wrapped-up the year-ending world number one spot for a third time.
Djokovic started 2013 with a fourth Australian Open title, then lost the Wimbledon final to a history-making Murray and the US Open championship match to Nadal.
He ended it as ATP World Tour Finals champion on a 24-match winning streak and announced he would be marrying long-time girlfriend Jelena Ristic.
Four of the Serb’s seven titles in 2013 came in the season’s closing weeks, although defeat in the Davis Cup final at the hands of the Czech Republic darkened the mood.
Murray missed the latter part of the season after undergoing surgery on a long-standing back problem in September.
But by then his work was done. On an emotional July afternoon, the 26-year-old brushed aside an under-powered Djokovic to become the first British man to win Wimbledon since Fred Perry in 1936.
Murray credited coach Ivan Lendl with his success, a second Grand Slam title to add to his breakthrough 2012 win in New York.
He failed to reach a Grand Slam final for the first time since 2002 and won only a solitary title in Halle as his ranking slumped to seventh in the world — his lowest placing for 11 years. (Agencies)
