Rafael Nadal’s Trophy-Biting Tradition: What’s the Reason Behind It?

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The legendary Spanish former professional tennis player, Rafael Nadal, also often hailed as the “king of clay”, has been ranked as the world No. 1 in men’s singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) for 209 weeks, and finished as the year-end No. 1 five times. As of June 2025, Rafael has clinched a record total of 92 ATP Tour-level singles titles, including 22 major titles, as well as 36 Masters titles and an Olympic gold medal.

Over the years, Rafael Nadal has gained immense recognition for his path-breaking achievements in the world of professional tennis and also his rare trophy-biting tradition of winning a tournament. Have you ever wondered why the king of clay, Rafael Nadal, bites the trophy every time? Well, let’s find out.

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In this article we will take a look at Rafael Nadal’s trophy-hitting tradition that has been going on since the beginning of his professional tennis career.

Rafael Nadal’s Trophy-Biting Tradition

The legendary tennis player Rafael Nadal’s iconic trophy-biting tradition started when he first bit the trophy after winning the 2005 Monte Carlos Masters after defeating Guillermo Coria in the final. While the biting tradition was initially associated as an Olympic tradition, Nadal picked it up and made it his own trademark, commemorating his achievements on the court. Although Nadal’s move of biting the trophy at the 2005 Monte Carlos Masters seemed to be a playful move, it later became a tradition for the legendary Spanish tennis player as it attracted enormous attention from tennis aficionados from all over the world.

Why Does Rafael Nadal Bite the Trophies?

In one of his recent interviews, Nadal was asked about his trophy-biting tradition, and he jokingly answered, “I don’t know why I bite the trophies, I just do. But now I can’t stop—they expect it.” Well, what initially started off as a playful move by Nadal later became an uncompromised tradition. Today, Nadal’s massive global fanbase associates him with his iconic trophy-biting move and has become a classic and signature move of the tennis stalwart while commemorating his on-court triumphs.

All The Times When Rafael Nadal Has Bit The Trophies

Often hailed as one of the most decorated tennis players in the world, Nadal has clinched a total of 92 ATP Tour singles titles, including 22 Grand Slam titles (2 Australian Open, 14 French Open, 2 Wimbledon, 4 US Open), 36 ATP Masters 1000 titles, 23 ATP 500 titles, 10 ATP 250 titles, 5 Davis Cup titles, 11 ATP doubles titles, one Olympic gold medal at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and Olympics doubles gold at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

A detailed anecdote of all the times when Nadal created headlines for his iconic trophy-biting tradition is provided below:

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