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2012 Rafael Nadal tennis season

Main article: Rafael Nadal

The 2012 Rafael Nadal tennis season officially began on 2 January with the start of the 2012 ATP World Tour.

2012 Rafael Nadal tennis season
Full nameRafael "Rafa" Nadal Parera
Country Spain
Calendar prize money$4,997,448[1]
Singles
Season record42–6
Calendar titles4
Year-end rankingNo. 4
Ranking change from previous yearDecrease 2
Grand Slam & significant results
Australian OpenF
French OpenW
Wimbledon2R
US OpenDNS
Doubles
Season record7–1 (87.5%)
Calendar titles1
Current rankingNo. 66
Ranking change from previous yearDecrease 7
Injuries
Injuriesknee injury
Last updated on: September 10, 2012.
← 2011
2013 →

Year summary

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Asian/Pacific hard court season and Australian Open

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Nadal during the finals of the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters

Nadal began his World Tour season at the Qatar Open. He beat Philipp Kohlschreiber and qualifier Denis Gremelmayr in rounds one and two and then won against seventh-seeded Mikhail Youzhny.[2] In the semifinal he played poorly and lost to Gaël Monfils in two routine sets.[3]

Australian Open

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In the Australian Open Nadal began the tournament by breezing past qualifier Alex Kuznetsov of United States.[4] The second round against Tommy Haas, who has never won a set against Rafael, was a little tighter but Nadal again advanced in three straight sets.[5] He outwitted compatriot Feliciano López in fourth round and won in the quarterfinals in an epic four-set match against Tomáš Berdych, who was playing at a high-level.[6] He then beat Roger Federer, who was riding a 24-match win streak heading into the match, in a four-set match in the semifinals.[7] With his win, he reached the finals of all four Grand Slams consecutively. It was one of two times in which Nadal reached consecutive hardcourt major finals, later doing so between the 2013 US Open and 2014 Australian Open.[8] In the final, on 29 January, he was beaten by Novak Djokovic in five sets, the match being the longest ever match for a Grand Slam title. The epic final lasted 5 hours and 53 minutes. They set a new world record, breaking the latest longest major singles final between Mats Wilander and Ivan Lendl, which lasted 4 hours and 54 minutes, at the US Open in 1988.[9]

US hard court season

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At Indian Wells, Nadal made it to the semifinals, where he was beaten by Roger Federer, who went on to win the tournament. However, he won the Doubles event of the tournament for the second time in succession after beating John Isner and Sam Querrey in the final.

He also made the semifinals in Miami, but withdrew because of problems with his knee, the hard-court season taking its toll on his weak spot once again.

European clay court season and the French Open

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As the clay court season started, Nadal was seeded 2nd at the 2012 Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters in April. He was troubled in his opening round by seed number 47, Nieminen of Finland, but prevailed in two sets. He then went on to clinch his 8th Monte Carlo trophy in 9 tries by beating Qualifier Mikhail Kukushkin, easing through Stanislas Wawrinka, and defeating Gilles Simon in the Semifinal, before topping World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the final. This ended a streak of 7 straight final losses to Djokovic, which began at the 2011 Indian Wells Masters Final. Novak admitted that Nadal was just a better player, when asked whether the death of his grandfather early at the beginning of the tournament was affecting his whole play.

A day after the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters Final, Nadal traveled to Barcelona where he received a 'bye' in the first round. His tremendous record on clay continued as he beat compatriot David Ferrer to clinch his seventh title in eight years at the Barcelona Open.

The Mutua Madrileña Madrid Open did not go very well for Nadal since he lost early in the 3R to Fernando Verdasco. Nadal stated that he was very unhappy with the new blue-colored clay and threatened not to attend in the future if the surface was not changed. Several other players such as Novak Djokovic agreed with Nadal in his criticism.[10]

In the last tournament before the French Open Nadal went to Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome. He won every single match in two sets finishing with his second victory over Novak Djokovic and his third title in 2012.

French Open

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At the French Open, Nadal managed to win all six matches before facing Novak Djokovic in the final, in which Nadal won in four sets. During the entire tournament, Nadal only lost a single set (against Djokovic in the final). With his seventh championship victory at Roland Garros, Nadal became the most successful tennis player at the French Open. It was his fifth consecutive major final, his personal best streak of reaching a major final.[11]

Throughout the entire Clay court season, Nadal did not drop a single set on the red clay across 3 tournaments and 23 matches, which started in Monte Carlo, Barcelona, BNL d'Italia and was ended by Novak Djokovic in the Final of the French Open. He collected 5 bagels along the way (a bagel is a score of 6–0 in a set of a tennis match).

European grass court season, Wimbledon Championships and the Summer Olympics

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For the first time since his debut in 2005, Nadal revisited the Gerry Weber Open in Halle, Germany. There he enrolled in both the Doubles and Singles events. He partnered up with Marcel Granollers as his Doubles teammate as well as "hitting company." After disappointing Quarter Finals losses at both the Singles and Doubles events of the Gerry Weber, Rafael Nadal took a week off from the tour and took a visit to his hometown, Manacor.

Wimbledon Championships

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Wimbledon Championships did not go well for Nadal and was a disaster for him. He lost early in the second round to Lukáš Rosol in 5 sets in one of the greatest shocks in Grand Slam history. Rosol then succumbed to Philipp Kohlschreiber in the following round. After his loss, Nadal was off into yet another rest, this time in Sardinia.

London Olympics

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Nadal's second appearance at the Summer Olympics, saw him chosen by the Spanish Sports Federation as the flag-bearer of Spain. He gained automatic entry to the Men's Singles Event, was the defending champion, and was the pre-tournament favourite to retain the Gold Medal, despite his early exit from Wimbledon in June.[12]

But on 19 July, Nadal stated that he will be withdrawing from the Olympics citing a knee injury as his issue.

Summer US hard court season

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After he withdrew from the London Olympics due to knee tendinitis, Nadal missed the rest of the US Open Series, leading up to the US Open, stating that he will not return to court before the recovery.

U.S. Open

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On 15 August, Nadal announced via Twitter that he was withdrawing from the 2012 US Open (tennis).[13] He had already withdrawn from the 2012 Rogers Cup and the 2012 Western & Southern Open.

Autumn season

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On 3 September, Nadal announced on his homepage that he would not play for the next two months in order to rest and allow his knee to recover. He ultimately missed the remainder of the 2012 season, having received qualification for the ATP World Tour Finals in London after his second round exit from Wimbledon, before pulling out due to injury. Despite missing the final four months of the season, Nadal managed to finish ranked No. 4 in the world, his lowest year-end ranking in eight years.

Nadal stated in his announcement: "I have missed the Olympics and the US Open in the last few weeks, two of the most important tournaments of the year and that I really wanted to play. I really want to be back competing and enjoying the tennis tour, but I have many years in front of me and my knee needs some rest. I will be back when I have no pain and able to compete with guarantee[...]."[14]

All matches

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Key
W  F  SF QF #R RR Q# P# DNQ A Z# PO G S B NMS NTI P NH
(W) winner; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (P#) preliminary round; (DNQ) did not qualify; (A) absent; (Z#) Davis/Fed Cup Zonal Group (with number indication) or (PO) play-off; (G) gold, (S) silver or (B) bronze Olympic/Paralympic medal; (NMS) not a Masters tournament; (NTI) not a Tier I tournament; (P) postponed; (NH) not held; (SR) strike rate (events won / competed); (W–L) win–loss record.
To avoid confusion and double counting, these charts are updated at the conclusion of a tournament or when the player's participation has ended.

Singles matches

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Tournament Match Round Opponent Rank Result Score
Qatar ExxonMobil Open
Doha, Qatar
ATP World Tour 250
Hard, outdoor
2 – 7 January 2012 		1 / 658 1R   Philipp Kohlschreiber 43
Win
 6–3, 6–7(2–7), 6–3
2 / 659 2R   Denis Gremelmayr 189
Win
 6–2, 6–2
3 / 660 QF   Mikhail Youzhny 35
Win
 6–4, 6–4
4 / 661 SF   Gaël Monfils 15
Loss
3–6, 4–6
Australian Open
Melbourne, Australia
Grand Slam
Hard, outdoor
16 – 29 January 2012 		5 / 662 1R   Alex Kuznetsov 167
Win
 6–4, 6–1, 6–1
6 / 663 2R   Tommy Haas 205
Win
 6–4, 6–3, 6–4
7 / 664 3R   Lukáš Lacko 113
Win
 6–2, 6–4, 6–2
8 / 665 4R   Feliciano López 19
Win
 6–4, 6–4, 6–2
9 / 666 QF   Tomáš Berdych 7
Win
 6–7(5–7), 7–6(8–6), 6–4, 6–3
10 / 667 SF   Roger Federer 3
Win
 6–7(5–7), 6–2, 7–6(7–5), 6–4
11 / 668 F   Novak Djokovic 1
Loss (1)
7–5, 4–6, 2–6, 7–6(7–5), 5–7
BNP Paribas Open
Indian Wells, United States
ATP World Tour Masters 1000
Hard, outdoor
12 – 18 March 2012 		– 1R Bye
12 / 669 2R   Leonardo Mayer 78
Win
 6–1, 6–3
13 / 670 3R   Marcel Granollers 26
Win
 6–1, 6–4
14 / 671 4R   Alexandr Dolgopolov 21
Win
 6–3, 6–2
15 / 672 QF   David Nalbandian 74
Win
 4–6, 7–5, 6–4
16 / 673 SF   Roger Federer 3
Loss
3–6, 4–6
Sony Ericsson Open
Miami, United States
ATP World Tour Masters 1000
Hard, outdoor
21 March – 4 April 2012 		– 1R Bye
17 / 674 2R   Santiago Giraldo 57
Win
 6–2, 6–0
18 / 675 3R   Radek Štěpánek 25
Win
 6–2, 6–2
19 / 676 4R   Kei Nishikori 16
Win
 6–4, 6–4
20 / 677 QF   Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6
Win
 6–2, 5–7, 6–4
– SF   Andy Murray 4 Withdrew N/A
Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters
Monte Carlo, Monaco
ATP World Tour Masters 1000
Clay, outdoor
15 – 22 April 2012 		– 1R Bye
21 / 678 2R   Jarkko Nieminen 48
Win
 6–4, 6–3
22 / 679 3R   Mikhail Kukushkin 68
Win
 6–1, 6–1
23 / 680 QF   Stanislas Wawrinka 26
Win
 7–5, 6–4
24 / 681 SF   Gilles Simon 15
Win
 6–3, 6–4
25 / 682 W   Novak Djokovic 1
Win (1)
 6–3, 6–1
Barcelona Open Banco Sabadell
Barcelona, Spain
ATP World Tour 500
Clay, outdoor
23 – 29 April 2012 		– 1R Bye
26 / 683 2R   Guillermo García López 78
Win
 6–1, 6–2
27 / 684 3R   Robert Farah 246
Win
 6–2, 6–3
28 / 685 QF   Janko Tipsarević 8
Win
 6–2, 6–2
29 / 686 SF   Fernando Verdasco 20
Win
 6–0, 6–4
30 / 687 W   David Ferrer 6
Win (2)
 7–6(7–1), 7–5
Mutua Madrid Open
Madrid, Spain
ATP World Tour Masters 1000
Clay, outdoor
7 – 13 May 2012 		– 1R Bye
31 / 688 2R   Nikolay Davydenko 54
Win
 6–2, 6–2
32 / 689 3R   Fernando Verdasco 19
Loss
3–6, 6–3, 5–7
Internazionali BNL d'Italia
Rome, Italy
ATP World Tour Masters 1000
Clay, outdoor
13 – 20 May 2012 		– 1R Bye
33 / 690 2R   Florian Mayer 28
Win
 6–1, 7–5
34 / 691 3R   Marcel Granollers 26
Win
 6–1, 6–1
35 / 692 QF   Tomáš Berdych 7
Win
 6–4, 7–5
36 / 693 SF   David Ferrer 6
Win
 7–6(8–6), 6–0
37 / 694 W   Novak Djokovic 1
Win (3)
 7–5, 6–3
French Open
Paris, France
Grand Slam
Clay, outdoor
28 May – 10 June 2012 		38 / 695 1R   Simone Bolelli 111
Win
 6–2, 6–2, 6–1
39 / 696 2R   Denis Istomin 43
Win
 6–2, 6–2, 6–0
40 / 697 3R   Eduardo Schwank 192
Win
 6–1, 6–3, 6–4
41 / 698 4R   Juan Mónaco 15
Win
 6–2, 6–0, 6–0
42 / 699 QF   Nicolás Almagro 13
Win
 7–6(7–4), 6–2, 6–3
43 / 700 SF   David Ferrer 6
Win
 6–2, 6–2, 6–1
44 / 701 W   Novak Djokovic 1
Win (4)
 6–4, 6–3, 2–6, 7–5
Gerry Weber Open
Halle, Germany
ATP World Tour 250
Grass, outdoor
11 – 17 June 2012 		- 1R Bye
45 / 702 2R   Lukáš Lacko 58
Win
 7–5, 6–1
46 / 703 QF   Philipp Kohlschreiber 34
Loss
3–6, 4–6
Wimbledon Championships
London, United Kingdom
Grand Slam
Grass, outdoor
25 June – 8 July 2012 		47 / 704 1R   Thomaz Bellucci 80
Win
 7–6(7–0), 6–2, 6–3
48 / 705 2R   Lukáš Rosol 100
Loss
7–6(11–9), 4–6, 4–6, 6–2, 4–6

Doubles matches

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Tournament Match Round Opponents Ranking Result Score
BNP Paribas Open
Indian Wells, United States
ATP World Tour Masters 1000
Hard, outdoor
12 – 18 March 2012
Partner:   Marc López 		1 / 150 1R   Michaël Llodra
  Nenad Zimonjić 		#5 / #6 Win 6–4, 6–4
2 / 151 2R   Alexandr Dolgopolov
  Xavier Malisse 		#50 / #26 Win 6–4, 6–3
3 / 152 QF   Leander Paes
  Radek Štěpánek 		#7 / #22 Win 6–4, 7–6(7–5)
4 / 153 SF   Mariusz Fyrstenberg
  Marcin Matkowski 		#13 / #13 Win 6–2, 6–0
5 / 154 W   John Isner
  Sam Querrey 		#33 / #35 Win 6–2, 7–6(7–3)
Sony Ericsson Open
Miami, United States
ATP World Tour Masters 1000
Hard, outdoor
21 March – 4 April 2012
Partner:   Marcel Granollers 		6 / 155 1R   Marin Čilić
  Ivo Karlović 		#80 / #128 Win 6–1, 6–3
7 / 156 2R   Mahesh Bhupathi
  Rohan Bopanna 		#13 / #12 Loss 4–6, 3–6
Gerry Weber Open
Halle, Germany
ATP World Tour 250
Grass, outdoor
11 – 17 June 2012
Partner:   Marcel Granollers 		8 / 157 1R   Michal Mertiňák
  Viktor Troicki 		#78 / #76 Win 5–7, 6–2, [10–8]
– QF   Michael Kohlmann
  Florian Mayer 		#77 / #62 Withdrew

Tournament schedule

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Singles schedule

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Nadal's 2012 singles tournament schedule is as follows:

Date Championship Location Category Surface1 Outcome 2011 Points 2011 Points 2012 Outcome 2012
02.01.2012–07.01.2012 Qatar ExxonMobil Open Qatar ATP World Tour 250 Hard SF 90 90 SF
16.01.2012–29.01.2012 Australian Open Australia Grand Slam Hard QF 360 1200 F
08.03.2012–18.03.2012 BNP Paribas Open USA ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Hard F 600 360 SF
21.03.2012–01.04.2012 Sony Ericsson Open USA ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Hard F 600 360 SF
15.04.2012–22.04.2012 Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters Monaco ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Clay W 1000 1000 W
23.04.2012–29.04.2012 Barcelona Open Banco Sabadell Spain ATP World Tour 500 Clay W 500 500 W
06.05.2012–13.05.2012 Mutua Madrid Open Spain ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Clay F 600 90 R16
13.05.2012–20.05.2012 Internazionali BNL d'Italia Italy ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Clay F 600 1000 W
27.05.2012–10.06.2012 French Open France Grand Slam Clay W 2000 2000 W
11.06.2012–17.06.2012 Gerry Weber Open Germany ATP World Tour 250 Grass DNS 45 QF
25.06.2012–08.07.2012 Wimbledon Championships UK Grand Slam Grass F 1200 45 2R
27.08.2012–09.09.2012 US Open USA Grand Slam Hard F 1200 0 DNS
29.10.2012–04.11.2012 BNP Paribas Masters France ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Hard (i) DNS
05.11.2012–12.11.2012 Barclays ATP World Tour Finals UK ATP World Tour Finals Hard (i) RR 200
Points earned at Davis Cup 280
Points earned at Non-Countable Tournaments 45
Total year points 11010   4320 2
Overall points 6690[15]

1 The symbol (i) = indoors means that the respective tournament will be held indoors.
2 Difference between new points and previous points. ATP Points Distribution.

Yearly records

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Head-to-head matchups

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Ordered by number of wins

See also

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References

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  1. ^ El patrimonio de Rafael Nadal
  2. ^ "Federer and Nadal stay on course for final showdown". Yahoo! Sports. January 5, 2012.
  3. ^ Matt Smith (6 January 2012). "Monfils upsets Nadal to set up all-French Qatar final". Reuters.
  4. ^ "Nadal eases to 1st-round win at Australian Open". Yahoo! Sports. January 16, 2012.[permanent dead link]
  5. ^ "Nadal beats Haas as Federer puts feet up at Aussie Open". Yahoo! Sports. 18 January 2012.[permanent dead link]
  6. ^ Tennis.com (2012-01-24). "Australian Open: Nadal d. Berdych". Tennis.com. Retrieved 2023-09-14.
  7. ^ Mitchell, Kevin (2012-01-26). "Rafael Nadal triumphs over Roger Federer in epic Australian Open semi". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-09-14.
  8. ^ "Ultimate Tennis Statistics - Rafael Nadal". www.ultimatetennisstatistics.com. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
  9. ^ "Longest Men's Singles Championship Final". ESPN Sports. January 30, 2012.
  10. ^ "Stars not happy with Madrid". Archived from the original on 2012-11-23. Retrieved 2012-05-21.
  11. ^ "Ultimate Tennis Statistics - Grand Slam Final Streak". www.ultimatetennisstatistics.com. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
  12. ^ Carroll, Michael (19 June 2012). "London 2012: Why Rafael Nadal Will Sport Gold at 2012 Olympic Games". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
  13. ^ Quinn, Sam R. (15 August 2012). "Rafael Nadal's Withdrawal from US Open Reason for Tennis Fans to Worry". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 16 August 2012.
  14. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). rafaelnadal.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 September 2012. Retrieved 13 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  15. ^ Rafael Nadal at the ATP website
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