Andy Roddick’s words could not have been more profound after he lost to ‘potential great’ Rafael Nadal in the Davis Cup

The huge crowd in Seville drew a collective breath as the new wonder kid of Spanish tennis took to the stage in the 2004 Davis Cup final.

Rafael Nadal had already proved he was a rising force in the game after winning his first ATP Tour title in Poland a few weeks before he played in the biggest match of his career to date against Grand Slam winner and former world No. 1 Andy Roddick from the USA.

A few weeks earlier, defending US Open champion Roddick had beaten the youthful Nadal 6-0 6-3 6-4 in an hour and 36 minutes, highlighting how far the young Spaniard needed to travel before he could match the game’s champions.

That heavy defeat against Roddick America had to be in his mind as he prepared for a re-match with Roddick in front of 27,000 Spanish fans packed into a temporary tennis arena at Seville’s Olympic Stadium.

Nadal had already proved he could handle the Davis Cup pressure after coming through a decisive fifth match of an away match against the Czech Republic in the opening round, as he beat the more experienced Radek Stepanek in impressive fashion.

Nadal then won a singles match against France’s Arnaud Clement in the semi-finals before he faced the task of taking on Roddick’s big serve just a few weeks after he was comprehensively beaten on a fast hard court in New York.

Yet this was to be a very different story.

With 22-year-old Roddick’s thumping serve diluted by a slow clay court in Seville, the American quickly realised the challenge of playing Nadal on this service was a whole different ball game.

His first French Open title would come the following summer, yet this was the moment when Nadal announced himself to a Spanish and global audience by beating Roddick 6-7 6-2 7-6 6-2 to spark scenes of exuberant celebrations among the Spanish team and a raucous home crowd.

“He could become one of the best clay-courters in the world,” declared Roddick after his defeat, as he made a prediction Nadal confirmed time and again as he won 14 French Open titles and cemented his reputation as the all-time ‘King of Clay’ in the men’s game.

“I just ran into someone who played too well. Every once in a while people come along and they’re big match players. This was the third time this year he’s stepped up in singles and played well. I think you either have it or you don’t, regardless of age.”

Nadal’s reflections on his coming-of-age moment are delivered with familiar humility as he suggests the leader of the 2004 Spanish Davis Cup team was the experienced Carlos Moya, who would go on to become Rafa’s coach in the final years of his remarkable career.

The more experienced Juan Carlos Ferrero was also on that powerful Spanish team in 2004 and despite Nadal revealing he spoke to Moya prior to the Final to question prior to the Final whether the 2003 French Open champion should play ahead of him, Spanish captain Jordi Arrese stuck with the youngster and his selection was justified as Roddick was well beaten.

“The 2004 final was one of the victories that I will always remember in my life,” reflected Nadal.

“I will always say Carlos Moya was the leader of the team as he won his two singles matches and it was an incredible moment for me when we won.

“That was when people began to get to know me a bit more. It was an important victory for me.

“It was the most important victory of my career up until then, and the atmosphere that we went through – it was our second Davis Cup for Spain – was very special. I have very nice memories. Back then, I wouldn’t have even dreamed of this life I have now.”

This was not the first time Nadal had stood on the Davis Cup Final stage, as he was flag bearer for Spain in their 2000 Final, when Albert Costa and Ferrero guided Spain to a first victory in the competition as they beat Australia in a Final played in Barcelona.

This would be the start of an era of Spanish dominance in the Davis Cup as they appeared in seven Finals over a 13-year period up to 2012, yet many Spanish fans will always remember 2004 and Nadal’s breakthrough moment.