Rafa Nadal v Ivan Ljubicic: Madrid 2005 Classic Tennis Highlights 

What's your favourite ever match from the Mutua Madrid Open?

This was an amazing final. Most tennis fans of the 2010s don’t even realize that the Masters Madrid was played on indoor harcourt for the first 7 years of its existence...much less that Rafa won it (his SECOND Masters title on Hardcourt that year...as he won the Masters Canada in July by beating Agassi in the Finals. He also reached the Miami Finals, losing to Fed in a great 5-set Final). The point is, Rafa has been playing great on and WINNING big Hardcourt tournaments since 2005. He could ALWAYS play on Hardcourts

The greatest warrior in all sport 🐐💪 vamos

best young player in history of tennis

Everyone talks about Federer's 2005-06-07 season..but Rafa had won 11 titles in 2005 more than his prime form years 2010 and 2013

Rafa never ceases to amaze me! Almost 19, he was tough-as-nails as he is today. I had forgotten Madrid was on hard courts. And the best of five sets! Two-thousand five was the start of a beautiful journey for the man from Mallorca 🏆.

What a backhand from ljubicic

6:57 that was a nice camera move

Thanks for these extended highlights Tennis TV.

Dude had foot troubles and yet he was jumping and running. No wonder he's admired around the world.

I couldn't love this more... please let's have some tennis back soon!

Rafa was a fearsome monster in 2005. People talk about his French Open win and other early losses, but know little about his play in the Masters Series and other tournaments. He won the Masters four times and finished runner-up in a close match with Roger. He also won many titles and if I remember correctly, he would have had over 8,000 points, which is what he has now. Almost the same points as Alcaraz now. And the winning percentage was 89%. One more win and it would have been 90%.

The day Nadal demostreted who is the strongest mental player ever

You can see rafa isn’t just a clay court player ! He is incredible

Few can match the competitive intensity that Rafa has..

Ombillibable❣️

Nadal was 19 here. People don't realize how beastly Nadal really was before the first major injury in 2012. Even in 2005 he had foot problem which was supposed to retire him already, but 2012 was just career deciding moment. Luckily he came back.

Nadal has been mentally strong throughout his career regardless of age. Djokovic developed this strength with age and experience. Overall, Nadal is the strongest in this department.

But the amount of spin he puts on those passing shots is just beautiful.

After he retires Ljubicic guy might become a good coach

Ivan Ljubicic was a great player, he was for years third in the world. Very strong player with all the shots.

Rafael Nadal; the greatest tennis layer to ever live

One out of only 2 indoor titles for Rafa. Crazy stat when you think about it.

What the hell his stamina. 5 set tiebreak and looks like could go for 20 more sets

Watching this video, I have realized that Nadal plays as hard as now as he did when he started out. The fire in him is still burning brightly even after all these years. Vamos, Nadal!

Lubicic and FedEx old backhand looks alike

This title is so valuable. This is his ''Shanghai'' title, before being held there.

That's why he called as a mental gaint 😈

Ljubičić got his revenge in IW 2010.

Ivan Ljubicic knew tennis

WOW, ...... AMAZING Two bow Players Nadal is best Fighting Spirit

super courtcovering

Anyone here during the eternal covid19 pandemics?

Nadal between 2005, 2013 level greatest

2020?

Federer was at his prime this year and this was indoor right ?

Ljubicic was a Nadal hater, he didn't want to shake hands with Nadal after the match, which is a very unsportsmanlike action.

Watching this realising how underrated Lubicic backhand was...

Wow tough match! But against some big hitter, Nadal was already Nadal, obviously.

What an astonishing and elegant touch at the net from Ljubicic. Now I understand why Federer has increasingly improved his net skills.

Classic Nadal. If Plan A doesn't work, persist with it and try harder - absurd how he can raise his level

Only title master 1000 in indoor to nadal

ナグルは未成年でマスターズ優勝か。。強えーわ。

This is nadal aggressive tennis.

Re duro Nadal

Ljubicic was unfortunate that this was played in Madrid. But he was fortunate in that this was a hard court. He should have won this in straight sets, but Nadal just would not give up. I wonder whether Ljubicic ever recovered from this match in his career... At some point he was very critical of Nadal for various reasons; he even became a kind of coach to Federer...

Ljubicic was done seriously dirty by Lars Graf in this one. Similar defeat to Berdych in the Paris final weeks later, must've been a big hangover from this one

Read a few reports where this aged looking player with such a sad face... taunting the young Nadal to the extent of calling his team really bad names (team would include the young kid's parents and close family members) he has even said to the press that he and other players "in the locker room" did not want Nadal to win in 2006 the french open - they wanted federer to win... really they take these things so seriously that it is not funny... How could anyone be so mean to a young champ like Nadal...!!! others like federer and djokovic and even the bald guy in this match seem to play with so much anger and jealousy... whereas RafaelNadal seems to play for the sake of the game...and for himself... Well.... if a person talks badly of someone unconnected... his badmouthing is bound to hit his own self... no wonder he could never accomplish anything much in his life... karma can be instant and cruel...so better be kind when you use your tongue...say good things about others - especially their parents... what have they done to you...anyways...

Nadal is a savior!

there wasnt challenge in 2005

The behavior of the Spanish crowd from the third set onwards was really reprehensible, the worst crowd I have ever seen, they reached a tremendous level of aggressiveness, even Nadal was forced to reject one or another attitude, albeit slightly - hence Ljubicic's attitude at the end.

2:51 I’ve been watching tennis since 2005, never once seen Nadal do that before

Did Ljubicic also taught 'the art of choking' to Federer 🤔

Am I the only one wondering why it's best of 5 sets?

And than say Federer is champion of weak era ? Nadal reach final Miami in 2005. Also win French open and became 2. player on tour in same year. From than 2005- 09 Federer reach 11 gs , with 4 gs before Us open 2005 . Djoko also reach final gs 2007 on Us open and became 3. place on atp. And are after this argument you haters and think and now is Fed champ of weak era ? Or weak era was so strong to Nadal who in prime years don' t make final on Us or Au open ( 2005- 08 ) ?

That's Nadal's only big indoor title of his career... no big indoor title 2006-present (Masters, World tour finals).

marron' sto ragazzino!

Ljubicic never celebrated winning points. He was a strange cat, thats for sure.

Stylish Lubicic vs Barbarian Nadal

Первый

Ljubičić choked

This shows how weak that 2004-2007 period really was. Ljubicic was really no big deal, it's embarassing that Nadal as a clay court specialst at that time beat his ass on hardcourts lmao. 2004-2007 definetly weaker than post 2008 and Blake,Roddick,Hewitt,Nalbandian < Murray,Wawrinka,Delpo,Cilic,Berdych,Thiem,Medvedev

Nadal pushed his body over the limit here, breaking his foot and compromising his career forever.

Roiding and blood doping back then. Rafroid is the biggest cheater in the history of tennis

Funny how a weak era player like Ljubicic couldn't beat Nadal when he was a nobody outside clay, but managed to beat him when he was peaking on HC Something wrong Rafafans no?