Tennis

He is the player who inflicted the heaviest defeat of Rafael Nadal’s entire career beating him 6-0, 6-1

October 12, 2026

Mikhail Youzhny delivered one of the most stunning upsets in Rafael Nadal’s storied career, defeating the Spaniard 6–0, 6–1 in the 2008 Chennai Open final. Nadal, who had just battled through a grueling three-hour semifinal against Carlos Moyá, arrived at the final visibly fatigued and fell to Youzhny’s relentless baseline game.

The victory marked Youzhny’s first ATP title and catapulted him into the top 10, reaching a career-high ranking of world No. 8 just weeks later.

Nadal, however, quickly rebounded, winning two Grand Slam titles later that year—including Wimbledon, where he famously outlasted Roger Federer in a five-set epic—and later defeated Youzhny again en route to the London title. Youzhny’s strong form continued into the Australian Open, where he reached the quarterfinals before losing to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who went on to challenge Novak Djokovic in the final.

The Chennai defeat remains Nadal’s most lopsided loss in the professional era, a rare moment where his dominance was exposed by sheer physical and tactical superiority from an opponent ranked No. 19.

Youzhny’s performance in India and Melbourne showcased his ability to compete with the sport’s elite, even as Nadal’s resilience allowed him to overcome the setback and extend his legacy as one of tennis’s greatest champions.