By Chris Oddo | Monday May 8, 2018
Fernando Verdasco joined the ATP's 500 club with a straight sets win over Paolo Lorenzi in Madrid on Tuesday.
Photo Source: Denis Doyle/Getty
34-year-old Fernando Verdasco joined the ATP’s 500 club with a 7-5, 6-4 win over Paolo Lorenzi on Tuesday at Madrid, becoming just the sixth Spaniard to reach the mark as well as the ninth active player to earn 500 wins (45th in history).
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The victory is a testament to Verdasco’s longevity, determination and stick-to-itiveness. 219 of the 34-year-old’s victories have come at the Masters or Grand Slam level (99 at the majors, so another milestone soon to come), and while Verdasco never quite fulfilled the lofty expectations that were set for him back in 2009 when he went toe-to-toe with Rafael Nadal in one of the greatest major semifinals in recent memory, he’s certainly held up his end of the bargain as a competitor and as a compelling personality over the years.
In that fantastic semifinal Verdasco hit 95 winners before finally falling to Nadal in five sets and 5:14, and it turned out to be his best shot at Grand Slam glory. In total, Verdasco has reached the round of 16 at 16 different majors, and he’s got three quarterfinals to his name as well as the aforementioned semifinal.
Nothing to sneeze at but yes, more would have been nice.
If we envisaged a brighter future for Verdasco in 2009 we may have temporarily forgotten about the five-headed monster that would render all but the most fortunate of challengers obsolete in the decade to come. Between now and then the Big Five--Roger Federer, Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka--have not let up and players like Verdasco and Richard Gasquet—who also recently reached the 500-win mark—have had to take a back seat.
But the true fan knows and understands how difficult it has been to break through in this elevated era. And the true fan knows that those difficulties don’t render the accomplishments of those players in the second tier any less impressive.
Maybe he didn’t catch lightning in the bottle in 2009, or in the 2010 Monte-Carlo final, when he only won a single game from the indefatigable Nadal, but despite it all Verdasco has always soldiered on, and as he has aged he has played with more swagger, more belief, and the type of chip on his shoulder that enabled him to finally have his day in the sun against Nadal in 2016, when he upset the Spaniard in the first round of the Australian Open.
Sometimes we hesitate on days like this, and we question the legitimacy of a player’s accomplishments when we look for the crowning achievement but don’t find one. But in Verdasco’s case it’s foolish to question the quality of his career. He’s now one of nine players to earn 500 wins on the ATP Tour, and he’s currently 45th all-time. In his 30’s he has continued to be an inspirational figure, often finding himself in protracted battles that captivate crowds and meander on into epic status. He’s poured his heart and soul into the game and he’s still going strong 17 years after turning pro.
He may have never won the big won but Verdasco has more than made up for that with his big heart, giant game and flair for the dramatic. 500 wins is a great achievement for Verdasco, and on a day when Nadal was off, it was nice to see the surly southpaw get his moment in the sun on home soil.
When we think of the vaunted “Spanish Armada” we’ll always think of Nadal first and Ferrer second, but don’t sleep on Fernando Verdasco. He’s a special talent and a proven warrior who owns a 23-21 record in five-set matches—further proof of his ability to bristle in the tensest of battles. Furthermore he’s a lovable character as well—one who wears his heart on his sleeve and one whose outward struggles with nerves at times have rendered him a sentimental favorite.
It’s this phase of Verdasco’s career that might endear him the most to fans. He relishes the chance to mix it up with the rising powers of the game. He loves the idea of muscling up against the ATP's Generation Next, hoping that his steel will and powerhouse forehand will prove to be an insurmountable wall for them, at least for now.
And thus far this season, they have. He’s notched wins over Dominic Thiem and Grigor Dimitrov and made a trip to a 500-level final at Rio. As the season progresses, don’t be surprised if you see Verdasco wreaking further havoc against the ATP’s Top 10. And when you do don’t forget to give the man his props. He’s been at it for nearly two full decades, and his lust for tennis hasn’t dissipated in the least. It’s just another reason that Verdasco is worthy of legend status, along with the other 500.