Comparing Rafael Nadal’s Madrid Open, Monte Carlo Masters, and Italian Open records

Oli Dickson Jefford 28 Apr 2025 12:09 PM

Rafael Nadal in Monte Carlo, Madrid, and Rome.

Rafael Nadal was the undisputed ‘King of Clay’, dominating on the surface throughout large stages of his career.

While he is most synonymous with his staggering success at Roland Garros, Nadal was also a successful champion at the Masters 1000 events in Monte Carlo, Madrid, and Rome.

Here, we look at how the Spaniard’s record at the three events stacks up.

We are not factoring in the Hamburg Open event, which was discontinued as a Masters tournament after 2008.

We are also only including Madrid Open results since the event moved to clay in 2009.

Tournament appearances

Longevity largely defined Nadal’s career, and his total number of appearances at all three tournaments is testament to that.

After the event switched to clay, the Spaniard made 14 appearances at the Madrid Open, playing every year from 2009 to 2019, from 2021-22, and making his final appearance in 2024.

Nadal made 17 appearances in Monte Carlo following his debut in 2003, missing the event in 2004 but then playing from 2005-19, and returning for one final time after COVID in 2021.

However, his most common Masters 1000 event on clay was the Italian Open, which he appeared at a staggering 19 times.

Nadal made his Rome debut in 2005 and made 18 straight appearances until 2022, withdrawing due to injury in 2023 before his final showing in 2024.

Titles won

Nadal won multiple titles at all three events, though the Madrid Open was his least successful in terms of silverware.

In his 14 appearances at the event from 2009 onwards, the Spaniard triumphed four times on home turf, lifting the title in 2010, 2013-14, and 2017; he was also the runner-up in 2009, 2011, and 2015.

The most successful of the three Masters 1000 events for him in terms of the number of titles was Monte Carlo, which he triumphed at 11 times.

Nadal won eight straight titles on the French Riviera from 2005-2012, before his win streak was snapped in the 2013 final by Novak Djokovic.

However, would then claim three further crowns from 2016-2018.

The Spaniard also hit double figures in Rome, with 10 titles to his name at the Foro Italico.

Nadal claimed the title for three straight years from 2005-07, and then back-to-back titles in 2009-10 and 2012-13, before final triumphs from 2018-19 and 2021.

He was also the Italian Open runner-up in 2011 and 2014.

Overall, he won the Madrid Open on 28.57% of his tournament appearances, the Monte Carlo Masters on 64.71% of his event appearances, and the Italian Open on 52.63% of his appearances.

ATP Tour News

The 5 men with the highest Madrid Open win percentage: Carlos Alcaraz 88.24%

The 9 men with the most ATP match wins on clay: Rafael Nadal with 484

Win percentage

Looking at the number of titles he won is one thing, but his respective match win percentages at all three events make for interesting reading.

Monte Carlo is conclusively the strongest event of the three for him, with an extraordinary win rate of 92.4% to his name at the Country Club.

Nadal played 79 matches at the Monte Carlo Masters and held an impressive 73-6 record, with only five men able to beat him at the tournament; Djokovic was the only player to beat him twice.

Next best for the ‘King of Clay’ was the Italian Open, where he held an overall win percentage of 88.6%, winning 70 of 79 matches in Rome.

On clay in Madrid, Nadal won 82.1% of his matches, with a win-loss record of 46-10 at his home Masters event.

While a win percentage of over 80% is still incredibly impressive, it is clear that Madrid was the slightly weaker of the three events for him.

That was likely due to the altitude in the Spanish capital, with the thinner air making the conditions less clay-like and trending slightly towards a harder court, sometimes favouring his opponents.