# 2016 Rafael Nadal tennis season

The 2016 Rafael Nadal tennis season officially began on 4 January 2016 with the start of the 2016 Qatar Open.

## Year in detail
### Australian Open Series
#### Qatar Open

Nadal began his year at the Qatar Open. He faced compatriot Pablo Carreño Busta in the first round and managed a comeback by defeating him in three sets. He then defeated Robin Haase in straight sets but then required three sets to defeat Andrey Kuznetsov in the quarter-finals. Nadal then defeated Illya Marchenko in the semifinals in straight sets to advance to the final, where he faced Novak Djokovic for the title. Nadal was crushed, winning just three games in a straight sets defeat, and thus lost his lead in his head-to-head record against Djokovic for the first time.

#### Australian Open

Nadal suffered a shocking defeat in the first round of the 2016 Australian Open at the hands of his compatriot Fernando Verdasco in five gruelling sets. This marked only the second time in his entire professional career that he has lost in the first round of a grand slam singles tournament. The only other first round loss was to Steve Darcis at the 2013 Wimbledon Championships.

### South American Clay Court Season
#### Argentina Open

After receiving a bye in the first round, Nadal reached the semifinals of the Argentina Open by defeating Juan Mónaco and Paolo Lorenzi respectively in straight sets. However, he lost to an in-form young-gun Dominic Thiem in the semifinals in three sets after squandering 2 match points.

#### Rio Open

Nadal opens his Rio Open campaign by defeating compatriots Pablo Carreño Busta and Nicolás Almagro respectively in straight sets to book his place in the quarterfinals. He got a walkthrough to the semifinals after Alexandr Dolgopolov withdrew due to a right-shoulder injury. He eventually lost to Pablo Cuevas in the semifinals.

### March Masters
#### Indian Wells Masters

After receiving a bye in the first round, Nadal recorded his first win after changing back to his old racket against Gilles Müller in three tight sets and booked his place in the fourth round winning his rematch against Fernando Verdasco in straight sets. Nadal reaches the quarterfinals for the second straight year after saving a match point against rising star Alexander Zverev to beat him in three gruelling-sets. He defeated Kei Nishikori in straight sets for his first top 10 win of the season to advance to the semifinals. He lost to Novak Djokovic 7–6, 6–2 in the semifinal after squandering a set point on Djokovic's serve in the first set making their head-to-head record 25–23 in Djokovic's favor.

#### Miami Masters

After a bye in the first round, Nadal lost to Damir Džumhur in the second round, retiring in the third set of their match citing dizziness due to the extreme heat at the end of the first set.

### European Clay Court Season
#### Monte-Carlo Masters

* Nadal defeats Monfils to claim his ninth Monte Carlo Masters title
After receiving a bye in the first round, Nadal defeated Aljaž Bedene in straight sets and faced a more stringent test in the third round against the in-form Dominic Thiem. After two hours on the court, Nadal came out victorious, beating Thiem in straight sets 7–5, 6–3. Nadal reached the semifinals of the Monte Carlo Rolex Masters for the 2nd straight year after a dominant straight sets win in the quarterfinals against 2015 French Open champion Stan Wawrinka. After dropping the first set in the semifinals 2–6 to world #2 Andy Murray, Nadal rallied to beat Murray 6–4, 6–2, upping his head-to-head record against Murray to 17–6. In the final, Nadal defeated an in-form Gaël Monfils in three tough sets, winning 7–5, 5–7, 6–0 to claim his 9th Monte Carlo masters trophy, ending a nearly 2-years Masters 1000 title drought since his last Masters title in Madrid 2014. After leading the Masters 1000 title tally for several years Nadal was surpassed by Novak Djokovic in Miami 2016 but the Monte Carlo win ensures that Nadal is again tied with Djokovic for a record of 28 masters titles.

#### Barcelona Open

After a first round bye, Nadal continued his dominant form by dispatching compatriots Marcel Granollers and Albert Montañés in straight sets to proceed to the Quarterfinals. Nadal faced Fabio Fognini who defeated him 3 times the previous year and managed to close out the match in the 2nd set tiebreak in straight sets. Nadal reaches his 101st final beating German Philipp Kohlschreiber in a one-sided contest, winning in straight sets. He defeated two-time defending champion Kei Nishikori in the final 6–4, 7–5, winning the tournament without dropping a single set and winning a record 9th Barcelona Open and equalling the record of most clay court titles won with Guillermo Vilas with 49 clay court titles.

#### Madrid Open

After receiving a first round bye, Nadal put on a superb display against Russian Andrey Kuznetsov, beating him in straight sets along with Sam Querrey, dispatching him in a hard-fought straight sets win, nearly going 1–5 down in the first set after fending off a break point in his own serve in the 5th game and then winning 5 straight games to clinch the first set and reach the quarterfinals. Nadal progresses to the semis beating an in-form João Sousa in three-sets despite winning the first set in a bagel. He lost to Andy Murray in the semifinal with a score of 7–5, 6–4.

#### Italian Open

Nadal received an unfavorable draw and, after a bye in the first round, Nadal faced Philipp Kohlschreiber and beat him 6–3, 6–3. Nadal then faced Nick Kyrgios who famously beat Nadal at the 2014 Wimbledon and, despite Kyrgios winning the first set in a tiebreak, Nadal won the last 2 sets, breaking Kyrgios 3 times and winning in three sets to book his place in the quarterfinals, where he was beaten by Novak Djokovic in straight sets.

#### French Open

* Nadal withdraws from French Open 2016, suffers from wrist injury
Nadal gained a top 4 seeding for his French Open campaign after Federer withdrew with a back injury which guaranteed he won't be meeting Djokovic until the semifinals. Nadal defeated Sam Groth in the first round 6-1 6-1 6–1. In the second round, Nadal defeated Facundo Bagnis. However, Nadal was forced to withdraw a day before his 3rd round match due to a wrist injury.

### US Open Series
#### Rio Olympics

Having not played since May 28, Nadal took part in his first competitive match in the Rio Olympic Games. Nadal Faced Argentina's Federico Delbonis. Nadal was in no mood to mess around as he put in an excellent performance, winning 6–2 6–1. In the next round, he faced Andreas Seppi, but beat him in straight sets. Nadal faced Gilles Simon from France, and despite hitting 28 unforced errors in the first set, Nadal came through 7–6 6–3. Nadal then faced home favourite and fellow lefty Thomaz Bellucci. Nadal came through in 3 tough sets. He then faced a resurgent Juan Martín del Potro, the pair last met three years ago. Despite Nadal winning the first set, del Potro fought back to claim victory in an epic olympic semi-final. After the loss to del Potro, Rafa faced Kei Nishikori in the bronze medal match. A visibly exhausted Nadal lost the first set 6–2. He was then 5–2 down in the second, but Nishikori nerves were visible, Nadal levelling 7–6. But in the end, Nishikori was too good, prevailing 6–3 in the third.
Nadal saw more success in the doubles tournament playing alongside Marc López, winning the gold medal. Nadal was also set to play in the mixed doubles alongside Garbiñe Muguruza, but withdrew without playing a match, saying the medical staff advised that three tournaments could aggravate his wrist's recovery.

#### Cincinnati Masters

Nadal was defeated in the third round by Borna Ćorić 6–1, 6–3.

#### US Open

Entering the tournament as the fourth seed, Nadal advanced to the fourth round but was defeated by 24th seed Lucas Pouille in 5 sets.

### Asian Swing
#### China Open

Nadal defeated Paolo Lorenzi and Adrian Mannarino in straight sets, then lost to Grigor Dimitrov in straight sets in the quarterfinals.

#### Shanghai Masters

Nadal was defeated in straight sets in his opening round match by Victor Troicki. This was Nadal's final match of the 2016 season.

## All matches

Key :
| W | F | SF | QF | #R | RR | Q# | P# | DNQ | A | Z# | PO | G | S | B | NMS | NTI | P | NH |

### Singles matches

| Tournament | Match | Round | Opponent (seed or key) | Rank | Result | Score |
| Qatar Open Doha, Qatar ATP Tour 250 Hard, outdoor 4–10 January 2016 |
| Qatar Open Doha, Qatar ATP Tour 250 Hard, outdoor 4–10 January 2016 | 1 / 928 | 1R | Pablo Carreño | 67 | Win | 6–7$^{(5–7)}$, 6–3, 6–1 |
| Qatar Open Doha, Qatar ATP Tour 250 Hard, outdoor 4–10 January 2016 | 2 / 929 | 2R | Robin Haase | 66 | Win | 6–3, 6–2 |
| Qatar Open Doha, Qatar ATP Tour 250 Hard, outdoor 4–10 January 2016 | 3 / 930 | QF | Andrey Kuznetsov | 79 | Win | 6–3, 5–7, 6–4 |
| Qatar Open Doha, Qatar ATP Tour 250 Hard, outdoor 4–10 January 2016 | 4 / 931 | SF | Illya Marchenko | 94 | Win | 6–3, 6–4 |
| Qatar Open Doha, Qatar ATP Tour 250 Hard, outdoor 4–10 January 2016 | 5 / 932 | F | Novak Djokovic (1) | 1 | Loss (1) | 1–6, 2–6 |
| Australian Open Melbourne, Australia Grand Slam tournament Hard, outdoor 18–31 January 2016 |
| Australian Open Melbourne, Australia Grand Slam tournament Hard, outdoor 18–31 January 2016 | 6 / 933 | 1R | Fernando Verdasco | 47 | Loss | 6–7$^{(6–8)}$, 6–4, 6–3, 6–7$^{(4–7)}$, 2–6 |
| Argentina Open Buenos Aires, Argentina ATP Tour 250 Clay, outdoor 8–14 February 2016 |
| Argentina Open Buenos Aires, Argentina ATP Tour 250 Clay, outdoor 8–14 February 2016 | – | 1R | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| Argentina Open Buenos Aires, Argentina ATP Tour 250 Clay, outdoor 8–14 February 2016 | 7 / 934 | 2R | Juan Mónaco | 55 | Win | 6–4, 6–4 |
| Argentina Open Buenos Aires, Argentina ATP Tour 250 Clay, outdoor 8–14 February 2016 | 8 / 935 | QF | Paolo Lorenzi | 52 | Win | 7–6$^{(7–3)}$, 6–2 |
| Argentina Open Buenos Aires, Argentina ATP Tour 250 Clay, outdoor 8–14 February 2016 | 9 / 936 | SF | Dominic Thiem (5) | 19 | Loss | 4–6, 6–4, 6–7$^{(4–7)}$ |
| Rio Open Rio de Janeiro, Brazil ATP Tour 500 Clay, outdoor 15–21 February 2016 |
| Rio Open Rio de Janeiro, Brazil ATP Tour 500 Clay, outdoor 15–21 February 2016 | 10 / 937 | 1R | Pablo Carreño | 66 | Win | 6–1, 6–4 |
| Rio Open Rio de Janeiro, Brazil ATP Tour 500 Clay, outdoor 15–21 February 2016 | 11 / 938 | 2R | Nicolás Almagro | 53 | Win | 6–3, 7–5 |
| Rio Open Rio de Janeiro, Brazil ATP Tour 500 Clay, outdoor 15–21 February 2016 | – | QF | Alexandr Dolgopolov | 33 | Walkover | N/A |
| Rio Open Rio de Janeiro, Brazil ATP Tour 500 Clay, outdoor 15–21 February 2016 | 12 / 939 | SF | Pablo Cuevas | 45 | Loss | 7–6$^{(8–6)}$, 6–7$^{(3–7)}$, 4–6 |
| BNP Paribas Open Indian Wells, United States ATP Tour Masters 1000 Hard, outdoor 10–20 March 2016 |
| BNP Paribas Open Indian Wells, United States ATP Tour Masters 1000 Hard, outdoor 10–20 March 2016 | – | 1R | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| BNP Paribas Open Indian Wells, United States ATP Tour Masters 1000 Hard, outdoor 10–20 March 2016 | 13 / 940 | 2R | Gilles Müller | 45 | Win | 6–2, 2–6, 6–4 |
| BNP Paribas Open Indian Wells, United States ATP Tour Masters 1000 Hard, outdoor 10–20 March 2016 | 14 / 941 | 3R | Fernando Verdasco | 65 | Win | 6–0, 7–6$^{(11–9)}$ |
| BNP Paribas Open Indian Wells, United States ATP Tour Masters 1000 Hard, outdoor 10–20 March 2016 | 15 / 942 | 4R | Alexander Zverev | 58 | Win | 6–7$^{(8–10)}$, 6–0, 7–5 |
| BNP Paribas Open Indian Wells, United States ATP Tour Masters 1000 Hard, outdoor 10–20 March 2016 | 16 / 943 | QF | Kei Nishikori (5) | 6 | Win | 6–4, 6–3 |
| BNP Paribas Open Indian Wells, United States ATP Tour Masters 1000 Hard, outdoor 10–20 March 2016 | 17 / 944 | SF | Novak Djokovic (1) | 1 | Loss | 6–7$^{(5–7)}$, 2–6 |
| Miami Open Miami, United States ATP Tour Masters 1000 Hard, outdoor 24 March – 3 April 2016 |
| Miami Open Miami, United States ATP Tour Masters 1000 Hard, outdoor 24 March – 3 April 2016 | – | 1R | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| Miami Open Miami, United States ATP Tour Masters 1000 Hard, outdoor 24 March – 3 April 2016 | 18 / 945 | 2R | Damir Džumhur | 94 | Loss | 6–2, 4–6, 0–3 ret. |
| Monte-Carlo Masters Monte-Carlo, Monaco ATP Tour Masters 1000 Clay, outdoor 11–17 April 2016 |
| Monte-Carlo Masters Monte-Carlo, Monaco ATP Tour Masters 1000 Clay, outdoor 11–17 April 2016 | – | 1R | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| Monte-Carlo Masters Monte-Carlo, Monaco ATP Tour Masters 1000 Clay, outdoor 11–17 April 2016 | 19 / 946 | 2R | Aljaž Bedene | 60 | Win | 6–3, 6–3 |
| Monte-Carlo Masters Monte-Carlo, Monaco ATP Tour Masters 1000 Clay, outdoor 11–17 April 2016 | 20 / 947 | 3R | Dominic Thiem (12) | 14 | Win | 7–5, 6–3 |
| Monte-Carlo Masters Monte-Carlo, Monaco ATP Tour Masters 1000 Clay, outdoor 11–17 April 2016 | 21 / 948 | QF | Stan Wawrinka (4) | 4 | Win | 6–1, 6–4 |
| Monte-Carlo Masters Monte-Carlo, Monaco ATP Tour Masters 1000 Clay, outdoor 11–17 April 2016 | 22 / 949 | SF | Andy Murray (2) | 2 | Win | 2–6, 6–4, 6–2 |
| Monte-Carlo Masters Monte-Carlo, Monaco ATP Tour Masters 1000 Clay, outdoor 11–17 April 2016 | 23 / 950 | W | Gaël Monfils (13) | 16 | Win (1) | 7–5, 5–7, 6–0 |
| Barcelona Open Barcelona, Spain ATP Tour 500 Clay, outdoor 18–24 April 2016 |
| Barcelona Open Barcelona, Spain ATP Tour 500 Clay, outdoor 18–24 April 2016 | – | 1R | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| Barcelona Open Barcelona, Spain ATP Tour 500 Clay, outdoor 18–24 April 2016 | 24 / 951 | 2R | Marcel Granollers | 50 | Win | 6–3, 6–2 |
| Barcelona Open Barcelona, Spain ATP Tour 500 Clay, outdoor 18–24 April 2016 | 25 / 952 | 3R | Albert Montañés | 104 | Win | 6–2, 6–2 |
| Barcelona Open Barcelona, Spain ATP Tour 500 Clay, outdoor 18–24 April 2016 | 26 / 953 | QF | Fabio Fognini (12) | 31 | Win | 6–2, 7–6$^{(7–1)}$ |
| Barcelona Open Barcelona, Spain ATP Tour 500 Clay, outdoor 18–24 April 2016 | 27 / 954 | SF | Philipp Kohlschreiber (10) | 27 | Win | 6–3, 6–3 |
| Barcelona Open Barcelona, Spain ATP Tour 500 Clay, outdoor 18–24 April 2016 | 28 / 955 | W | Kei Nishikori (2) | 6 | Win (2) | 6–4, 7–5 |
| Madrid Open Madrid, Spain ATP Tour Masters 1000 Clay,outdoor 1–8 May 2016 |
| Madrid Open Madrid, Spain ATP Tour Masters 1000 Clay,outdoor 1–8 May 2016 | – | 1R | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| Madrid Open Madrid, Spain ATP Tour Masters 1000 Clay,outdoor 1–8 May 2016 | 29 / 956 | 2R | Andrey Kuznetsov | 39 | Win | 6–3, 6–3 |
| Madrid Open Madrid, Spain ATP Tour Masters 1000 Clay,outdoor 1–8 May 2016 | 30 / 957 | 3R | Sam Querrey | 37 | Win | 6–4, 6–2 |
| Madrid Open Madrid, Spain ATP Tour Masters 1000 Clay,outdoor 1–8 May 2016 | 31 / 958 | QF | João Sousa | 35 | Win | 6–0, 4–6, 6–3 |
| Madrid Open Madrid, Spain ATP Tour Masters 1000 Clay,outdoor 1–8 May 2016 | 32 / 959 | SF | Andy Murray (2) | 2 | Loss | 5–7, 4–6 |
| Italian Open Rome, Italy ATP Tour Masters 1000 Clay,outdoor 9–15 May 2016 |
| Italian Open Rome, Italy ATP Tour Masters 1000 Clay,outdoor 9–15 May 2016 | – | 1R | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| Italian Open Rome, Italy ATP Tour Masters 1000 Clay,outdoor 9–15 May 2016 | 33 / 960 | 2R | Philipp Kohlschreiber | 26 | Win | 6–3, 6–3 |
| Italian Open Rome, Italy ATP Tour Masters 1000 Clay,outdoor 9–15 May 2016 | 34 / 961 | 3R | Nick Kyrgios | 20 | Win | 6–7$^{(3–7)}$, 6–2, 6–4 |
| Italian Open Rome, Italy ATP Tour Masters 1000 Clay,outdoor 9–15 May 2016 | 35 / 962 | QF | Novak Djokovic (1) | 1 | Loss | 5–7, 6–7$^{(4–7)}$ |
| French Open Paris, France Grand Slam tournament Clay,outdoor 22 May – 5 June 2016 |
| French Open Paris, France Grand Slam tournament Clay,outdoor 22 May – 5 June 2016 | 36 / 963 | 1R | Sam Groth | 95 | Win | 6–1, 6–1, 6–1 |
| French Open Paris, France Grand Slam tournament Clay,outdoor 22 May – 5 June 2016 | 37 / 964 | 2R | Facundo Bagnis | 99 | Win | 6–3, 6–0, 6–3 |
| French Open Paris, France Grand Slam tournament Clay,outdoor 22 May – 5 June 2016 | – | 3R | Marcel Granollers | 56 | Withdrew | N/A |
| Summer Olympics Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Olympic Games Hard, outdoor 6–14 August 2016 |
| Summer Olympics Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Olympic Games Hard, outdoor 6–14 August 2016 | 38 / 965 | 1R | Federico Delbonis | 43 | Win | 6–2, 6–1 |
| Summer Olympics Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Olympic Games Hard, outdoor 6–14 August 2016 | 39 / 966 | 2R | Andreas Seppi | 74 | Win | 6–3, 6–3 |
| Summer Olympics Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Olympic Games Hard, outdoor 6–14 August 2016 | 40 / 967 | 3R | Gilles Simon (15) | 31 | Win | 7–6$^{(7–5)}$, 6–3 |
| Summer Olympics Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Olympic Games Hard, outdoor 6–14 August 2016 | 41 / 968 | QF | Thomaz Bellucci | 54 | Win | 2–6, 6–4, 6–2 |
| Summer Olympics Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Olympic Games Hard, outdoor 6–14 August 2016 | 42 / 969 | SF | Juan Martín del Potro | 165 | Loss | 7–5, 4–6, 6–7$^{(5–7)}$ |
| Summer Olympics Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Olympic Games Hard, outdoor 6–14 August 2016 | 43 / 970 | SF-B | Kei Nishikori | 7 | Loss | 2–6, 7–6$^{(7–1)}$, 3–6 |
| Cincinnati Masters Cincinnati, United States ATP Tour Masters 1000 Hard, outdoor 13–21 August 2016 |
| Cincinnati Masters Cincinnati, United States ATP Tour Masters 1000 Hard, outdoor 13–21 August 2016 | – | 1R | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| Cincinnati Masters Cincinnati, United States ATP Tour Masters 1000 Hard, outdoor 13–21 August 2016 | 44 / 971 | 2R | Pablo Cuevas | 19 | Win | 6–1, 7–6$^{(7–4)}$ |
| Cincinnati Masters Cincinnati, United States ATP Tour Masters 1000 Hard, outdoor 13–21 August 2016 | 45 / 972 | 3R | Borna Ćorić | 49 | Loss | 1–6, 3–6 |
| US Open New York City, United States Grand Slam tournament Hard, outdoor 29–11 September 2016 |
| US Open New York City, United States Grand Slam tournament Hard, outdoor 29–11 September 2016 | 46 / 973 | 1R | Denis Istomin | 107 | Win | 6–1, 6–4, 6–2 |
| US Open New York City, United States Grand Slam tournament Hard, outdoor 29–11 September 2016 | 47 / 974 | 2R | Andreas Seppi | 87 | Win | 6–0, 7–5, 6–1 |
| US Open New York City, United States Grand Slam tournament Hard, outdoor 29–11 September 2016 | 48 / 975 | 3R | Andrey Kuznetsov | 47 | Win | 6–1, 6–4, 6–2 |
| US Open New York City, United States Grand Slam tournament Hard, outdoor 29–11 September 2016 | 49 / 976 | 4R | Lucas Pouille (24) | 25 | Loss | 1–6, 6–2, 4–6, 6–3, 6–7$^{(6–8)}$ |
| China Open Beijing, China ATP Tour 500 Hard, outdoor 3–9 October 2016 |
| China Open Beijing, China ATP Tour 500 Hard, outdoor 3–9 October 2016 | 50 / 977 | 1R | Paolo Lorenzi | 39 | Win | 6–1, 6–1 |
| China Open Beijing, China ATP Tour 500 Hard, outdoor 3–9 October 2016 | 51 / 978 | 2R | Adrian Mannarino (Q) | 64 | Win | 6–1, 7–6$^{(8–6)}$ |
| China Open Beijing, China ATP Tour 500 Hard, outdoor 3–9 October 2016 | 52 / 979 | QF | Grigor Dimitrov | 20 | Loss | 2–6, 4–6 |
| Shanghai Masters Shanghai, China ATP Tour Masters 1000 Hard, outdoor 10–16 October 2016 |
| Shanghai Masters Shanghai, China ATP Tour Masters 1000 Hard, outdoor 10–16 October 2016 | – | 1R | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| Shanghai Masters Shanghai, China ATP Tour Masters 1000 Hard, outdoor 10–16 October 2016 | 53 / 980 | 2R | Viktor Troicki | 31 | Loss | 3–6, 6–7$^{(3–7)}$ |

### Doubles matches

| Tournament | Match | Round | Opponents (seed or key) | Ranks | Result | Score |
| Qatar Open Doha, Qatar ATP Tour 250 Hard, outdoor 4–10 January 2016 Partner: Fernando Verdasco |
| Qatar Open Doha, Qatar ATP Tour 250 Hard, outdoor 4–10 January 2016 Partner: Fernando Verdasco | 1 / 188 | 1R | Teymuraz Gabashvili / Albert Ramos | #130 / #605 | Loss | 7–6$^{(7–3)}$, 4–6, [9–11] |
| BNP Paribas Open Indian Wells, United States ATP Tour Masters 1000 Hard, outdoor 10–20 March 2016 Partner: Fernando Verdasco |
| BNP Paribas Open Indian Wells, United States ATP Tour Masters 1000 Hard, outdoor 10–20 March 2016 Partner: Fernando Verdasco | 2 / 189 | 1R | Bob Bryan / Mike Bryan | #5 / #6 | Loss | 6–3, 5–7, [8–10] |
| Miami Open Miami, United States ATP Tour Masters 1000 Hard, outdoor 24 March – 3 April 2016 Partner: Fernando Verdasco |
| Miami Open Miami, United States ATP Tour Masters 1000 Hard, outdoor 24 March – 3 April 2016 Partner: Fernando Verdasco | 3 / 190 | 1R | Simone Bolelli / Andreas Seppi | #22 / #80 | Win | 6–3, 6–4 |
| Miami Open Miami, United States ATP Tour Masters 1000 Hard, outdoor 24 March – 3 April 2016 Partner: Fernando Verdasco | – | 2R | John Isner / Nicholas Monroe | #120 / #53 | Withdrew | N/A |
| Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, Monaco ATP Tour Masters 1000 Clay, outdoor 9–17 April 2016 Partner: Fernando Verdasco |
| Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, Monaco ATP Tour Masters 1000 Clay, outdoor 9–17 April 2016 Partner: Fernando Verdasco | 4 / 191 | 1R | Philipp Kohlschreiber / Viktor Troicki | #250 / #177 | Win | 6–4, 6–2 |
| Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, Monaco ATP Tour Masters 1000 Clay, outdoor 9–17 April 2016 Partner: Fernando Verdasco | – | 2R | Pierre-Hugues Herbert / Nicolas Mahut | #8 / #5 | Withdrew | N/A |
| Summer Olympics Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Olympic Games Hard, outdoor 6–14 August 2016 Partner: Marc López |
| Summer Olympics Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Olympic Games Hard, outdoor 6–14 August 2016 Partner: Marc López | 5 / 192 | 1R | Robin Haase / Jean-Julien Rojer | #14 / #157 | Win | 6–4, 6–4 |
| Summer Olympics Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Olympic Games Hard, outdoor 6–14 August 2016 Partner: Marc López | 6 / 193 | 2R | Máximo González / Juan Martín del Potro | #73 / #351 | Win | 6–3, 5–7, 6–2 |
| Summer Olympics Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Olympic Games Hard, outdoor 6–14 August 2016 Partner: Marc López | 7 / 194 | QF | Alexander Peya / Oliver Marach | #23 / #37 | Win | 6–3, 6–1 |
| Summer Olympics Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Olympic Games Hard, outdoor 6–14 August 2016 Partner: Marc López | 8 / 195 | SF | Daniel Nestor / Vasek Pospisil | #9 / #17 | Win | 7–6$^{(7–1)}$, 7–6$^{(7–4)}$ |
| Summer Olympics Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Olympic Games Hard, outdoor 6–14 August 2016 Partner: Marc López | 9 / 196 | G | Horia Tecău / Florin Mergea | #10 / #14 | Win (1) | 6–2, 3–6, 6–4 |
| Davis Cup World Group Playoff: India vs Spain New Delhi, India Davis Cup Hard, outdoor 16–18 September 2016 Partner: Marc López |
| Davis Cup World Group Playoff: India vs Spain New Delhi, India Davis Cup Hard, outdoor 16–18 September 2016 Partner: Marc López | 10 / 197 | 1R | Saketh Myneni / Leander Paes | #119 / #63 | Win | 4–6, 7–6$^{(7–2)}$, 6–4, 6–4 |
| China Open Beijing, China ATP Tour 500 Hard, outdoor 3–9 October 2016 Partner: Pablo Carreño Busta |
| China Open Beijing, China ATP Tour 500 Hard, outdoor 3–9 October 2016 Partner: Pablo Carreño Busta | 11 / 198 | 1R | Rohan Bopanna / Daniel Nestor (3) | #18 / #14 | Win | 7–6$^{(7–3)}$, 6–4 |
| China Open Beijing, China ATP Tour 500 Hard, outdoor 3–9 October 2016 Partner: Pablo Carreño Busta | 12 / 199 | QF | Gong Maoxin / Zhang Ze (WC) | #105 / #144 | Win | 7–5, 6–3 |
| China Open Beijing, China ATP Tour 500 Hard, outdoor 3–9 October 2016 Partner: Pablo Carreño Busta | 13 / 200 | SF | Bob Bryan / Mike Bryan (1) | #6 / #7 | Win | 7–5, 6–4 |
| China Open Beijing, China ATP Tour 500 Hard, outdoor 3–9 October 2016 Partner: Pablo Carreño Busta | 14 / 201 | W | Jack Sock / Bernard Tomic | #22 / #230 | Win (2) | 6–7$^{(6–8)}$, 6–2, [10–8] |

### Mixed doubles matches

| Tournament | Match | Round | Opponents (seed or key) | Ranks | Result | Score |
| 2016 Summer Olympics Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Olympic Games Hard, outdoor 8–14 August 2016 Partner: Garbiñe Muguruza |
| 2016 Summer Olympics Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Olympic Games Hard, outdoor 8–14 August 2016 Partner: Garbiñe Muguruza | – | 1R | Lucie Hradecká / Radek Štěpánek (IP) | #10 / #31 | Withdrew | N/A |

### Exhibition matches

| Tournament | Match | Round | Opponents (Seed or Key) | Rank | Result | Score |
| Mubadala World Tennis Championship Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Singles exhibition Hard, outdoor 31 December 2015 – 2 January 2016 |
| Mubadala World Tennis Championship Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Singles exhibition Hard, outdoor 31 December 2015 – 2 January 2016 | – | QF | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| Mubadala World Tennis Championship Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Singles exhibition Hard, outdoor 31 December 2015 – 2 January 2016 | 1 | SF | David Ferrer (3) | 7 | Win | 6–3, 6–7$^{(4–7)}$, 6–3 |
| Mubadala World Tennis Championship Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Singles exhibition Hard, outdoor 31 December 2015 – 2 January 2016 | 2 | W | Milos Raonic (6) | 14 | Win (1) | 7–6$^{(7–2)}$, 6–3 |

## Tournament schedule
### Singles schedule

Nadal's 2016 singles tournament schedule is as follows: (Bolded letter indicates better or same result at the tournament)
| Date | Tournament | Location | Category | Surface$^1$ | Outcome 2015 | Outcome 2016 | Prev. Pts | New Pts$^2$ |
| 04 – 10 Jan 2016 | Qatar Open | Doha, Qatar | ATP World Tour 250 | Hard | 1R | F | 0 | 150 |
| 18–31 Jan 2016 | Australian Open | Melbourne, Australia | Grand Slam | Hard | QF | 1R | 360 | 10 |
| 8–14 Feb 2016 | Argentina Open | Buenos Aires, Argentina | ATP World Tour 250 | Clay | W | SF | 250 | 90 |
| 15–21 Feb 2016 | Rio Open | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | ATP World Tour 500 | Clay | SF | SF | 180 | 180 |
| 10–20 Mar 2016 | Indian Wells Masters | Indian Wells, United States | ATP World Tour Masters 1000 | Hard | QF | SF | 180 | 360 |
| 24 Mar – 3 April 2016 | Miami Masters | Miami, United States | ATP World Tour Masters 1000 | Hard | 3R | 2R | 45 | 10 |
| 9–17 April 2016 | Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters | Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, Monaco | ATP World Tour Masters 1000 | Clay | SF | W | 360 | 1000 |
| 16–24 April 2016 | Barcelona Open | Barcelona, Spain | ATP World Tour 500 | Clay | 3R | W | 45 | 500 |
| 29 April – 8 May 2016 | Madrid Open | Madrid, Spain | ATP World Tour Masters 1000 | Clay | F | SF | 600 | 360 |
| 9–15 May 2016 | Italian Open | Rome, Italy | ATP World Tour Masters 1000 | Clay | QF | QF | 180 | 180 |
| 16 May – 5 June 2016 | French Open | Paris, France | Grand Slam | Clay | QF | 3R | 360 | 90 |
| 4–12 June 2016 | Stuttgart Open | Stuttgart, Germany | ATP World Tour 250 | Grass | W | DNP | 250 | 0 |
| 13–19 June 2016 | Queen's Club Championships | London, United Kingdom | ATP World Tour 500 | Grass | 1R | DNP | 0 | 0 |
| 27 June – 10 July 2016 | Wimbledon Championships | London, United Kingdom | Grand Slam | Grass | 2R | DNP | 45 | 0 |
| 9–17 July 2016 | German Open | Hamburg, Germany | ATP World Tour 500 | Clay | W | DNP | 500 | 0 |
| 23–31 July 2016 | Canadian Open | Montreal, Canada | ATP World Tour Masters 1000 | Hard | QF | DNP | 180 | 0 |
| 4–14 Aug 2016 | Olympic Games | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | | Hard | N/A | SF-B | 0 | 0 |
| 13–21 Aug 2016 | Cincinnati Masters | Cincinnati, United States | ATP World Tour Masters 1000 | Hard | 3R | 3R | 90 | 90 |
| 29 Aug – 11 Sep 2016 | US Open | New York City, United States | Grand Slam | Hard | 3R | 4R | 90 | 180 |
| 3–9 Oct 2016 | China Open | Beijing, China | ATP World Tour 500 | Hard | F | QF | 300 | 90 |
| 8–16 Oct 2016 | Shanghai Masters | Shanghai, China | ATP World Tour Masters 1000 | Hard | SF | 2R | 360 | 10 |
| 24–30 Oct 2016 | Swiss Indoors | Basel, Switzerland | ATP World Tour 500 | Hard (i) | F | | 300 | 0 |
| 31 Oct – 6 Nov 2016 | Paris Masters | Paris, France | ATP World Tour Masters 1000 | Hard (i) | QF | | 180 | 0 |
| 13–20 Nov 2016 | ATP World Tour Finals | London, United Kingdom | ATP World Tour Finals | Hard (i) | SF | | 600 | 0 |
| Total | | | | | | | 5230 | 3300 |
$^1$ The symbol (i) = indoors means that the respective tournament will be held indoors.
$^2$ The ATP numbers between brackets = non-countable tournaments.

## Yearly records
### Head-to-head matchups

Rafael Nadal has a 39–14 match win–loss record in the 2016 season. His record against players who were part of the ATP rankings Top Ten at the time of their meetings was 4–5. The following list is ordered by number of wins: (Bolded number marks a top 10 player at the time of match, Italic means top 30)
* Andrey Kuznetsov 3–0
* Philipp Kohlschreiber 2–0
* Pablo Carreño 2–0
* Andreas Seppi 2–0
* Paolo Lorenzi 2–0
* Kei Nishikori 2–1
* Stan Wawrinka 1–0
* Nick Kyrgios 1–0
* Gaël Monfils 1–0
* Gilles Simon 1–0
* Federico Delbonis 1–0
* João Sousa 1–0
* Fabio Fognini 1–0
* Aljaž Bedene 1–0
* Gilles Müller 1–0
* Alexander Zverev 1–0
* Nicolás Almagro 1–0
* Sam Groth 1–0
* Facundo Bagnis 1–0
* Albert Montañés 1–0
* Marcel Granollers 1–0
* Robin Haase 1–0
* Juan Mónaco 1–0
* Sam Querrey 1–0
* Illya Marchenko 1–0
* Denis Istomin 1–0
* Adrian Mannarino 1–0
* Andy Murray 1–1
* Dominic Thiem 1–1
* Fernando Verdasco 1–1
* Pablo Cuevas 1–1
* Borna Ćorić 0–1
* Damir Džumhur 0–1
* Lucas Pouille 0-1
* Grigor Dimitrov 0–1
* Viktor Troicki 0–1
* Novak Djokovic 0–3

### Finals
#### Singles: 3 (2–1)

* Category
* Grand Slam (0–0)
* Summer Olympic Games (0–0)
* ATP World Tour Finals (0–0)
* ATP World Tour Masters 1000 (1–0)
* ATP World Tour 500 (1–0)
* ATP World Tour 250 (0–1)
* Titles by surface
* Hard (0–1)
* Clay (2–0)
* Grass (0–0)
* Titles by conditions
* Outdoors (2–1)
* Indoors (0–0)
| Outcome | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent in the final | Score in the final |
| Runner-up | 10 January 2016 | Qatar Open, Doha, Qatar | Hard | Novak Djokovic | 1–6, 2–6 |
| Winner | 17 April 2016 | Monte-Carlo Masters, Monte Carlo, Monaco | Clay | Gaël Monfils | 7–5, 5–7, 6–0 |
| Winner | 24 April 2016 | Barcelona Open, Barcelona, Spain | Clay | Kei Nishikori | 6–4, 7–5 |

#### Doubles: 2 (2–0)

* Category
* Grand Slam (0–0)
* Summer Olympic Games (1–0)
* ATP World Tour Finals (0–0)
* ATP World Tour Masters 1000 (0–0)
* ATP World Tour 500 (1–0)
* ATP World Tour 250 (0–0)
* Titles by surface
* Hard (2–0)
* Clay (0–0)
* Grass (0–0)
* Titles by conditions
* Outdoors (2–0)
* Indoors (0–0)
| Outcome | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents in the final | Score in the final |
| Winner | 12 August 2016 | Summer Olympics, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | Hard | Marc López | Florin Mergea Horia Tecău | 6–2, 3–6, 6–4 |
| Winner | 9 October 2016 | China Open, Beijing, China | Hard | Pablo Carreño Busta | Jack Sock Bernard Tomic | 6–7$^{(6–8)}$, 6–2, [10–8] |

### Earnings

* Bold font denotes tournament win
| # | Venue | Singles Prize Money | Year-to-date |
| 1. | 2016 Qatar ExxonMobil Open | $105,940 | $105,940 |
| 2. | 2016 Australian Open | A$38,500 | $132,347 |
| 3. | 2016 Argentina Open | $26,570 | $158,917 |
| 4. | 2016 Rio Open | $70,735 | $229,652 |
| 5. | 2016 Indian Wells Masters | $251,500 | $481,152 |
| 6. | 2016 Miami Masters | $19,530 | $500,682 |
| 7. | 2016 Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters | €717,315 | $1,317,919 |
| 8. | 2016 Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell | €460,000 | $1,836,753 |
| 9. | 2016 Mutua Madrid Open | €225,300 | $2,094,586 |
| 10. | 2016 Internazionali BNL d'Italia | €90,010 | $2,197,224 |
| 11. | 2016 French Open | €102,000 | $2,311,066 |
| 12. | 2016 Western & Southern Open | $54,390 | $2,365,456 |
| 13. | 2016 US Open | $235,000 | $2,600,456 |
| 14. | 2016 China Open | $77,375 | $2,677,831 |
| 15. | 2016 Shanghai Masters | $35,845 | $2,714,278 |