Rafael Nadal Tops Daniil Medvedev, Novak Djokovic, and Others in This 2021 Stat

The end-of-year 2021 ATP rankings are out, and so are all the statistics for the tennis nerds (that includes us!). One list, in particular, has everybody’s favorite Spaniard, Rafael Nadal gracing its top.

From leaderboards to serve trackers, the ATP stats have it all. So, when it comes to return games won, Nadal takes the cake this year. This is in spite of his season exit in early August.

Rafael Nadal broke the most serves in 2021

Out of the 29 matches he played this year, Rafael Nadal faced a total of 365 return games. Having won 130 of those, the 20-time Grand Slam champion scored a sport-leading 35.62 percentage in return games won. These statistics are across all surfaces, in all countries.

Close behind Rafa was none other than World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, who had a 34.60 percentage of return games won in 2021. Rounding up the three, 29-year-old Argentinian player Diego Schwartzman who came in second runner-up on the list. His percentage of return games won this year is 33.94%.

Moreover, these three players retain their positions on the list of return games won, even when the stats turn from 2021 to career rankings! Rafa has played roughly 60 matches more than Djokovic and won 300-odd games more than the Serbian. Consequently, he claims the top spot in career return-games-won.

ALSO READ: Rafael Nadal Makes Honest Admission on Novak Djokovic, Says He Is The ‘Best Placed Player to Finish With More Slams’

Nadal expects Djokovic to surpass him in Grand Slams

In a recent interview, Rafael Nadal stated that he clearly expects Serbian rival Novak Djokovic to surpass both him and Roger Federer in the total Grand Slam tally. The ‘Big Three’ have raced each other for the most number of majors won for several years now.

Rafa pointed out that when it comes to health and fitness, both Roger and himself are behind Djokovic. He pointed out that Djokovic has taken impeccably good care of his body in order to perform at the highest level.

“This is the reality from now on. We’ll see what happens in a few months, but right now if there is clearly a favorite (to win more Grand Slams), it’s him,” Nadal stated.

Where do both superstars end up when it’s all said and done? Will Novak Djokovic be the Grand Slam leader when he retires? Let us know in the comments below.

DIVE DEEPER: How Novak Djokovic Inspired a Visually-Impaired Fan to Take Up Tennis