Rafael Nadal’s forehand was one of the most dangerous shots we’ve ever seen.
The Spanish legend hit forehands like nobody else, changing the game with his heavy topspin.
Nadal won 22 Grand Slams with the shot, including a record 14 French Open titles.
Few players could deal with Nadal’s topspin, with many suggesting he had more RPMs [Revolutions per minute] than anyone else on the ATP Tour.
Weighing in with his thoughts, retired American star John Isner claimed that his countryman’s forehand had more RPMs than Nadal’s.
John Isner says Jack Sock’s forehand had more spin than Rafael Nadal’s
Isner spoke highly of former world number eight Jack Sock in a recent video uploaded to the ‘Selkirk Sport’ YouTube channel.
“Coming out of the junior ranks, there was a lot of buzz with Jack [Sock]. He had some incredible gifts,” said Isner.
“First and foremost is his athleticism, and after that is his forehand.
“He kind of has this legendary forehand; it has more RPMs than Rafael Nadal’s forehand.”
Sock’s forehand may have had more spin than Nadal’s, but that didn’t help him when they met on the ATP Tour…
| Match | Winner | Loser | Score |
| 2021 Washington – R32 | Rafael Nadal | Jack Sock | 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 |
| 2017 Laver Cup – RR | Rafael Nadal | Jack Sock | 6-3, 3-6, (10-9) |
| 2017 Rome – R16 | Rafael Nadal | Jack Sock | 6-3, 6-4 |
| 2017 Miami Open – QF | Rafael Nadal | Jack Sock | 6-2, 6-3 |
| 2015 Beijing – QF | Rafael Nadal | Jack Sock | 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 |
| 2015 French Open – R16 | Rafael Nadal | Jack Sock | 6-3, 6-1, 5-7, 6-2 |
The American never beat Nadal, losing all six of their matches, although he did come close on several occasions, losing in a deciding set three times.
In their final encounter at the 2021 Washington Open, Sock lost to Nadal in a third-set tiebreaker 6-7 (1-7).
Sock may have struggled against Nadal, but that didn’t stop him from enjoying a successful tennis career.
Jack Sock won the 2017 Paris Masters
The American played his best tennis on the doubles court, winning four Grand Slams.
However, in 2017, Sock made a charge up the singles rankings, in large part thanks to his run at the Paris Masters.
Travelling to France as the 16th seed, Sock battled back from a set down on three occasions to clinch his sole Masters 1000 title.
- 2017 Paris Masters 2R – Jack Sock defeated Kyle Edmund, 4-6, 7-6, 7-6
- 2017 Paris Masters 3R – Jack Sock defeated [17] Lucas Pouille, 7-6, 6-3
- 2017 Paris Masters QF – Jack Sock defeated Fernando Verdasco, 6-7, 6-2, 6-3
- 2017 Paris Masters SF – Jack Sock defeated Julien Benneteau, 7-5, 6-2
- 2017 Paris Masters F – Jack Sock defeated Filip Krajinovic, 5-7, 6-4, 6-1
Winning the title in Paris, Sock secured himself a spot in the ATP Finals, where he found himself in a group containing Roger Federer, Alexander Zverev, and Marin Cilic.
Few expected Sock to advance from the group, and he got off to the worst possible start, losing to Federer in straight sets, 4-6, 6-7.
Refusing to go down without a fight, Sock bounced back to beat both Zverev and Cilic in three sets, as he advanced to the semifinals.
There, he met Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov, who went unbeaten in his group, defeating David Goffin, Dominic Thiem, and Pablo Carreno Busta.
Sock won the first set to move within touching distance of the biggest final of his career, but couldn’t quite finish the job as Dimitrov turned things around to win 4-6, 6-0, 6-3.
As a result of his remarkable run towards the end of 2017, Sock rose to a career-high ranking of 8th in the world shortly after.
He was, however, unable to maintain that level, as injuries slowed his progress on the ATP Tour.
Sock never won another title and retired from tennis in 2023, following the US Open.
The 33-year-old now plays professional pickleball and is ranked sixth in the world in singles.
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