Rafael Nadal made his Top 10 debut 6,000 days ago and hasn’t left the elite since

On April 25, 2005, an 18-year-old Rafael Nadal broke into the Top 10 on the ATP rankings, rising from No. 11 to No. 7 after winning his fourth title of the year in Barcelona.

That was 6,000 days ago as of Tuesday—and he hasn’t left the Top 10 since.

Nadal already broke the record for most consecutive weeks in the Top 10 in ATP rankings history early last November, surpassing Jimmy Connors’ mark of 789 consecutive weeks. This is now the Spaniard’s 836th week in the elite.

Top 5 most consecutive weeks in the ATP Top 10 (as of week of September 27, 2021):
~ 836: Rafael Nadal
~ 789: Jimmy Connors
~ 734: Roger Federer
~ 619: Ivan Lendl
~ 565: Pete Sampras

Those numbers don’t include the 22 weeks the ATP rankings were frozen between March and August in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite having to end his 2021 season last month due to a foot injury, it’s possible Nadal could keep this streak going until his (hopeful) return at the start of 2022. He’s currently No. 6 on the ATP rankings, and only one spot lower on the year-to-date standings at No. 7—that means four players would have to pass his points total in the next two months to bump him out of the Top 10 by the end of the year.

“I’m still passionate about what I am doing,” the 35-year-old Spaniard said at Roland Garros this year. “I’m happy to be where I am, I feel lucky to be where I am, and I want to keep enjoying it and giving myself chances to keep competing well.”

And to illustrate just how long 6,000 days is, here are a few examples of just how different the world was when Nadal started this Top 10 streak:

~ The Big 3 only had four majors between them (they’ve won 56 more since then)

~ Nadal had five career ATP titles (he now has 88)

~ Emma Raducanu and Leylah Fernandez were 2 years old

~ Coco Gauff and Carlos Alcaraz were 1 year old

~ YouTube was 2 months old

~ Twitter didn't exist

~ Wedding Crashers, The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Saw 2 weren’t out yet

~ Barack Obama was a few months into his first term—as a Senator

~ And finally, the love ballad "Candyshop" by 50 Cent was No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100