Rafael Nadal made only one appearance at the Washington Open in his entire career.
Nadal was not planning to compete in the US capital in 2021, but after missing Wimbledon he decided to take a wildcard into the ATP 500 tournament.
This was the first time that Nadal had ever played at the Washington Open, something one of his biggest rivals Novak Djokovic has never done.
Despite being the top seed in Washington D.C., Nadal’s tournament did not quite go to plan.
Rafael Nadal won only one match at the Washington Open in 2021
Nadal received an automatic bye to the second round as the top seed at the Washington Open.
This is where he would face former top 10 player Jack Sock, who Nadal trailed by a break in the third set before fighting back to win 6-2, 4-6, 7-6(1).
Nadal would not win another match at the Washington Open, as he was beaten in his third round match by then world number 50 Lloyd Harris.
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Will Jannik Sinner still be on top?
The Washington Open that year would be won by Jannik Sinner, who had never won an ATP 500 title before this tournament.
While Sinner was starting to break through after the 2021 Washington Open, Nadal would not play another match that year, as a recurring left foot injury forced him to miss the US Open and the rest of the year.
However, the following season, Nadal would win the Australian Open and Roland Garros as the final two Grand Slam titles of his career.
Who has won the most titles at the Washington Open?
Although Nadal was unable to win a title in his only appearance at the Washington Open, some players manage to win multiple titles in the U.S. capital.
No player won more titles at the Washington Open than Andre Agassi, who claimed five titles at the ATP tournament.
Agassi won the Washington Open in 1990, 1991, 1995, 1998 and 1999, as well as losing in the 2000 final to Alex Corretja.
Some of the other multiple-time men’s singles champions at the Washington Open include Jimmy Connors, Guillermo Vilas and Andy Roddick.
There has also been a WTA tournament in Washington D.C. since 2011, with Svetlana Kuznetsova and Magdalena Rybarikova the only players to win multiple titles at the event.
The main draw of this year’s Washington Open starts on Monday, July 27, with Leylah Fernandez and Alex de Minaur the defending champions.
