Rafael Nadal has dropped to thirteenth place in the world tennis rankings, ending one of the longest streaks in history.

The Spaniard first broke into the TOP 10 as an 18-year-old in 2005 after winning the Barcelona Open. And he lived there for an incredible 912 weeks. It looks like she can break the world record of Martina Navrátilová, who spent exactly 1000 consecutive weeks in the TOP 10.

Nadal looks set to return at the Monte Carlo Masters in April. But the end of that endless streak opens important questions about how long Rafa, who has been plagued by health problems, will continue playing. Recently, the twenty-two-time Grand Slam champion has been in good health.

Nadala should at least be happy that he holds the men’s record during continuous placement in the TOP 10. Already in 2020, he broke Jimmy Connors’ record, which stayed in the top ten for 789 consecutive weeks. Moreover, none of the world’s top 20 players have ever played with Nadal on April 25, 2005.

Nadal Slide started this year at the Australian Open, where he dropped a large number of ranking points after losing as the defending champion in the second round. And he hasn’t played since because of a hip problem. At Indian Wells, where he reached the final last year, his ranking dropped 600 points.

“I prefer to be in the TOP 10, that’s clear, but in the end you have to accept things as they come,” he said in an interview with Movistar. “With all the injuries I’ve had over the last 18 years, it’s almost a miracle I’ve never been out of the top ten. But there was a time when a lot of things happened just in the last year: broken ribs, torn abs twice, now hamstring, leg problems… That’s how it is in tennis, you know if you don’t play, you’re out of the TOP 10.”

Nadal will also not be returning to action at the Miami Open which starts this week. But that probably won’t have a significant impact on his ratings, since he also didn’t play them last year.

We’ll probably only see him at the Monte Carlo Masters tournament, which starts on April 8 and is a gateway into the European clay season of sorts. “Rafa is the first player to register,” said tournament director David Massey. “He really wants to play and gives himself every opportunity to participate in the tournament he loves so much.”

Nadal has won the Monte Carlo Masters 11 times, another record. She will then bid for a 23rd Grand Slam title at the French Open, which starts on May 28.

The Spaniard has posted videos on social media showing him training on clay and preparing for his comeback. If he returns to Monte Carlo, he should have a chance to get back into the TOP 10 soon.

Nadal missed part of last year’s clay court season through injury and did not play in Monte Carlo or Barcelona. This year, the 36-year-old player has only played four matches so far. In the first round of the Australian Open, she won one match after a four-set battle with British Jack Draper, but in the second round she lost to American Mackenzie McDonald, ranked 53 in the world.