Rafael Nadal and French Open – A Love Affair of Records and Achievements

Rafael Nadal and clay courts have been an everlasting love affair. From finding immense success on the red clay to having incredible records in the same, the Spaniard has proven time and again why he is regarded as the undisputed “King of Clay”.

What is French Open and how is it different from other Grand Slam titles?

French Open is the second Grand Slam played in a calendar year, in the ATP-WTA tour, and it is the culmination of the clay-court season that is played before the tournament.

Also known as Roland Garros because of the stadium at which it is played, the French Open was established in 1891 and has been played since 1928 on outdoor red clay courts.

The clay courts at the French Open slow down the ball significantly, creating an opportunity for higher bounce as compared to the grass or hard courts which are faster in nature.

The clay courts at the French Open have thus been a perfect playground for Rafael Nadal. As he is at an advantage on a slower surface due to his playing style. In the open Era, the only male players who have won both the French Open and Wimbledon, which is on a faster court, are Rod Laver, Jan Kodeš, Björn Borg, Andre Agassi, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic. Given the number of players who have taken part in the sport and at the Grand slams, this is a feat to achieve, to say the least.

The defending champion of the Tournament is Novak Djokovic, who beat Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final, for his 2nd French Open Title.

Also read: John McEnroe Chooses His ‘GOAT’ Between Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic

French Open and Rafael Nadal: A saga for the history books

To say that Rafael Nadal has had huge success at the French Open would be an understatement. The Spaniard has 13 French Open titles which is a record in both ATP and WTA tours at any single tournament. His reign at Roland Garros is unparalleled, and a feat truly meant for the history books!
However, the upcoming tournament must be even more special for him. He generally celebrates his birthday going into the second week of the tournament on 3rd June!

When did Nadal play his first French Open Match?

In 2005, 10 days before his 19 birthday, Rafael Nadal played his first Roland Garros match. He was coming into the French Open after having won titles in Monte Carlo, Barcelona, and Rome.

On his 19th birthday, he defeated Federer in the semifinals. And two days later defeated Mariano Puerta in the final, becoming the second player to win the French Open on his first attempt. Mats Wilander had done it last, 1982.

Notably, his third-round match was against Richard Gasquet, another upcoming player, and his contemporary. But he defeated the Frenchman in straight sets. En route to his semifinal showdown with Roger Federer, seeded number 1, he met countryman David Ferrer, against whom he would go on to win his 8th French Open title in 2013.

He defeated Roger Federer in the semifinals, to reach his first-ever Grand Slam final. He won the title against the argentine Puerta 6–7 (8), 6–3, 6–1, 7–5, and climbed up to spots to No. 3 on the ATP ranking.

How many times has Nadal won the French Open?

Rafael Nadal has won the French Open a record-breaking 13 times. That is the most number of times anyone has won a major title. His last French Open win was in 2020, against Novak Djokovic in straight sets. Incidentally, when it comes to the most number of titles at a particular Grand Slam, the Serb comes next with his 9 wins at the Australian Open. In four of his finals, he defeated Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic in three. He got the best out of Dominic Thiem two times and once against three-time grand slam-winning Stan Wawrinka.

Nadal’s record-breaking 10th French Open title

La Decima, the 10th French Open title, and 15th Grand Slam title, which put him 1 ahead of Pete Sampras. It also ended his 3-year drought in Grand slams, and he competed spectacularly, winning every set that he played. He dropped only 35 games in total over his seven matches.

He defeated Stan Wawrinka in straight sets becoming the first male or female player in the open era to win 10 singles Grand Slam titles of the same tournament in the open era.

Rafa’s record-extending wins

His 11th, 12th, and 13th French Open titles have been record-extending ones. While it is true that Margaret Court has 11 Australian Open titles to her name, 7 of those came when the Australian Open was the Australian Championships and an amateur event. Nadal defeated Dominic Thiem in the final in straight sets having dropped only one set on route to his 17th Grand Slam title.
The next year, it was a rematch of the 2018 French Open final. Dominic Thiem was playing against Rafael Nadal, vying for his 12th French Open. Though Thiem managed to take the second set, the Spaniard won the next two in quick succession. This win marked his 12th French Open title. With this, he broke Margaret Court’s all-time record of winning titles at a particular single major.

Next year he again defended his title to win his 13th French Open title. He beat Novak Djokovic in straight sets in the final, losing only seven games in the match. This, in a rather poetic turn of events, equaled his Grand Slam tally with his longtime rival Roger Federer at 20, making them the two with the most Grand Slam titles.

Read more: Roger Federer vs Rafael Nadal: A Rivalry to Remember

Rafa’s achievements at the French Open

When it comes to records on clay courts, Rafael Nadal stands miles ahead of anyone else in the Open Era. He has a record of 62 titles on clay, and as has been established before an all-time record of 13 French Open Titles. Nadal also holds an all-time record of 12 Barcelona Open titles and 11 Monte Carlo Masters titles. He also holds the record for the longest single-surface win streak with 81 consecutive match wins in the red dirt.

Not only has he won the French Open 13 times, but he’s also had the most consecutive wins at the tournament, not losing a match at the tournament from 2010 to 2015.

Before him, Max Decugis has won 8 French Championships, before the Open Era. While Andres Gimeno is the oldest French Open Champion, at 34 years and 9 months of age. If Rafael Nadal manages to win yet another title here, he would break that record too. Given his form at the Australian Open 2022, it does not seem like the Spaniard is anywhere near the end of his career yet.

What is his win-loss record at Roland Garros?

As is expected from the extent of his records at Roland Garros, Nadal’s win-loss record here is also phenomenal. Of the 108 matches he’s played at the tournament, he’s lost only on three occasions. His first loss at the tournament came in the fourth round, the second one in the quarterfinals and the third one in the semifinals. Incidentally, Nadal has won all the 13 finals he’s played at this tournament.

Only two players have defeated the King of Clay at an event, he can almost call home. The first player to have gotten the best of Nadal was the Swedish Robin Soderling. He would go on to play the finals of the French Open 2009. This marked the only French Open Title Federer has won. Incidentally, Nadal defeated Soderling in the following final at Roland Garros, in 2009, to win his fifth French Open and his seventh title overall.
His next two defeats came at the hands of Novak Djokovic. In 2015, Djokovic won against the Spaniard in the quarterfinals in straight sets and then went on to win the title. The second time came as recently as 2021 when Djokovic defeated Nadal during their semifinal match.

Nadal and Djokovic: Head to Head at the French Open?

Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal are the two of the best players tennis have ever seen. They have a phenomenal rivalry between them, having played 58 matches between themselves. They have also played against each other in all the four Grand Slam Events. At the French Open, however, the Spaniard and the Serb have played against each other 9 times. Nadal leads 7-2.

They have met twice in the quarterfinals, with Nadal winning in 2006 and Djokovic prevailing in 2015. Four of their meetings have been in the semifinals, in 2007, 2008, 2013, and 2021. The last one marked the third time Nadal had lost at this tournament in his entire career so far. They also played the finals at Roland Garros in 2012, 2014, and 2020, and each time the Spaniard emerged victoriously!