Tennis
Rafael Nadal’s French Open Record: Total Titles Won
Nadal won an astonishing 112 of his 116 matches at the French Open, lifting the title 14 times.
Rafael Nadal//Getty Images
There are three certainties in life; death, taxes and Rafa Nadal winning the French Open. The King of Clay made his debut in 2005 and then went on to win a record 14 singles titles at Roland Garros. There is no women, man nor child on the planet who even comes close to this incredible achievement.
Famously, John McEnroe said that one of the most difficult things in world tennis was to beat Nadal in five sets – especially on clay!
An aggressive Approach, Unmatched Athleticism and The Clay
There are few athletes in the world who come close to Rafa Nadal’s athleticism, endurance and sharp movement. When you view all of this against the backdrop of a clay court with its slower surface more forgiving match experience, it is no surprise that Nadal was absolutely immense in Paris.
There are very few people who see their sporting achievements translate into eternal honours, much less while they are still playing. Since the European summer of 2021, a ten foot steel sculpture of Rafa has stood at the gates of Roland Garros. It stands amongst the so-called four musketeers of French tennis (Jean Borotra, Jacques Brugnon, Henri Cochet and Rene Lacoste. These are the men who dominated Roland Garros at its inception.
The trophy which awarded to the men’s singles champion at the French Open is called the Coup des Mousquetaires as an ode to the four.
Did Nadal Ever Lose?
On his first attempt, Nadal lifted the Coup des Mousquetaires in 2005, beating Mariano Puerta in the final. He would go on to set a 31-match unbeaten sequence that suffered a shocking fourth-round defeat to Robin Söderling. It has been touted one of the biggest upsets in tennis history, and rightly so. Nadal lost that match in four sets to the Swede who was eventually beaten in the final by Roger Federer.
Nadal’s next two defeats at the French Open would come at the hands of Novak Djokovic. In 2015, Djokovic got past Nadal in the quarter finals. Nadal was beaten in straight sets by an almost unplayable Djokovic. Although the Serbian giant would ultimately lose the final to a certain Stanislas Wawrinka, his Nadal victory ended another eyewatering run of 39 French Open games unbeaten. It’s a record which, at the time of writing, stands as the tournament record for both men and women in Paris.
Unperturbed, Nadal would once again craft a run of 35 matches unbeaten on the red clay of Roland Garros, dominating between 2016 and 2021. Novak Djokovic was once again the man to bring it to an end in 2021 at the semi-final stage. The significance of this match was recorded in history as being the first time in history that Nadal would lose a match after winning the opening set.
Three years later Nadal would lose again – for the last time in his illustrious career, to Alexander Zverev in the first round. He met the 4th seeded German early on due to his recovery from injury and as such, entering the tournament unseeded. It was the first time he was without a seeding at a Grand Slam since he arrived on the scene in Australia in 2005.
All in all, Nadal won an astonishing 112 of his 116 matches at the French Open.
Ryan Liberty is an experienced sports writer whose articles have featured in some of the biggest sports publications in South Africa. With a strong understanding of all major sports and an in-depth understanding of betting, Ryan consistently delivers insightful content. He's also known for his ability to break down complex topics into engaging, reader-friendly pieces.