After the physical complications of 2016, Rafael Nadal came back strong: six titles, absolute records on the clay court circuit, and a return to world No. 1 marked his spectacular 2017.
The Spanish player's season began with a bittersweet taste, reaching the final of the Australian Open but losing the chance in the fifth set, and against none other than Roger Federer. Once again, he missed the opportunity to become the only player in the Open Era to win all the Grand Slams more than once.
His start of the year followed the same pattern in Acapulco, Indian Wells, and Miami: in Mexico, he was stopped by Sam Querrey in the final; in the Masters 1000, his repeated and doubled rival was Federer himself (in Miami, he even lost in the final again).
Nadal arrived at the clay court circuit after almost a year without titles. But on his favorite surface, the Spaniard rose once again. First came the end of the drought in Monte Carlo, lifting his 10th trophy in the tournament, a record for a player in a single event. Days later, Rafa reached the same milestone in Barcelona. And he didn't lower his level in Madrid, already reaching Novak Djokovic as the most successful player in Masters 1000 (30 titles).
In Roland Garros, "La Decima" was properly delivered. And with Nadal's signature style: not a single set lost along the way and only 35 games conceded in seven rounds: an average of only five per match, the lowest since Bjorn Borg in 1978 (32). Exceptional. In addition, it allowed him to surpass Pete Sampras and stand alone as the second player with the most Grand Slam titles in the Open Era.
His grass court season had only one stop: Wimbledon. And a quick farewell in the fourth round, after Gilles Muller won an unforgettable fifth set by 15-13. Still, it was the second time in the past six years that the Spaniard reached the second week at the English Grand Slam.
On the way to the US Open, he didn't have a great performance in Montreal and Cincinnati. But Andy Murray's inactivity allowed him to arrive at Flushing Meadows already at world No. 1, after three years. And in New York, when it was time to deliver, his best version reappeared: from worse to better, Nadal had an impeccable second week, surviving Juan Martín del Potro's epic comeback (who had defeated Federer on the way) and in the final, Kevin Anderson was no match. 16th Grand Slam title, third in the United States, and once again Federer is "only" three conquests away from the historical record.
Between North America and Asia, Nadal was one of the great architects of the Laver Cup, with the highlight being seeing Rafa and Roger on the same side of the net. With the title in their hands, the Spanish player carried his momentum to China, winning in Beijing in the final with the fewest number of games of the season (Nick Kyrgios, the victim), and reaching another final in Shanghai. But it was Federer, the great shadow over Nadal throughout the year, who prevented him from winning his 31st Masters 1000 title (which would have given him the record in isolation), with a head-to-head record that ended 4-0 in favor of the Swiss player (but Nadal still leads 23-15).
The final stretch of his season seemed to complete the arc of the beginning: on one hand, the joy of confirming year-end No. 1 status. But at the same time, the Spanish player left Paris and London with physical problems and that uncertainty remains on his way to 2018. What face will we see in the next 12 months?