MÁLAGA, Spain (AP) — Rafael Nadal made his French Open debut as a teenager in 2005 and won the title. He last won it in 2022 at the age of 36, marking his last Grand Slam victory.
Fittingly, Nadal’s Grand Slam titles began and ended at the French Open, and it’s impossible to discuss his career without mentioning this venue. However, it is equally important to remember that he completed his collection of Grand Slam crowns, winning at least two trophies in each of the four most prestigious Tennis tournaments.
Now, at 38, Nadal prepares to retire after the Davis Cup finals, which begin Tuesday in Spain against the Netherlands. Here, we look back at his 22 great triumphs, starting with the most recent:
Finale : beat Casper Ruud 6-3, 6-3, 6-0.
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What he did: Improved to 14-0 in French Open finals, even after receiving injections to numb the pain in his left foot.
What he said: “It is obvious that with the circumstances in which I play, I cannot and do not want to continue.”
Finale : a battu Daniil Medvedev 2-6, 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-4, 7-5.
What he did: Became the first man in 57 years to win an Australian Open final after losing the first two sets.
What he said: “I just wanted to keep believing until the end.”
Finale : beat Novak Djokovic 6-0, 6-2, 7-5.
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What he did: Matched Roger Federer with 20 Grand Slam titles and won the French Open without dropping a set for the fourth time.
What he said: “As far as these records go, of course I’m interested.”
Finale : a battu Medvedev 7-5, 6-3, 5-7, 4-6, 6-4.
What he did: Marked his last of his four titles at Flushing Meadows.
What he said: “Nerves were high. A crazy match.”
Finale : beat Dominic Thiem 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1.
What he did: Became the first player to win the same Grand Slam tournament a dozen times.
What he said: “Let’s see how long I can manage and continue with this.”
Finale : beat Thiem 6-4, 6-3, 6-2.
What he did: Defeated Thiem, the only man to beat Nadal on clay in 2017 or 2018.
What he said: “If you would have told me seven, eight years ago that I would be here… holding this trophy again, I would have told you it’s almost impossible. But here we are.”
Finale : beat Kevin Anderson 6-3, 6-3, 6-4.
What he did: Returned to win his second Slam title of the season after a two-and-a-half year drought without reaching a major final.
What he said: “After a few years of not competing at a very high level, I’m very happy to be back.”
Finale : beat Stan Wawrinka 6-2, 6-3, 6-1.
What he did: Won every set and lost only 35 games in the tournament. Achieved a fifth consecutive French Open title, tying Pete Sampras with 14 Grand Slam titles in his career.
What he said: “Playing here at Roland Garros is simply unforgettable.”
What he said: “This season is probably the most emotional of my career.”
Finale : beat David Ferrer 6-3, 6-2, 6-3.
What he did: Returned from a left knee injury which kept him out for more than six months. Ferrer is now the captain of the Spanish Davis Cup team.
What he said: “I never like to compare years, but it’s true that this year means something very special to me.”
Finale : beat Djokovic 6-4, 6-3, 2-6, 7-5.
What he did: Won the title match after it was postponed for two days due to rain, breaking Bjorn Borg’s record of six men’s titles in Paris and preventing Djokovic from winning a fourth consecutive Grand Slam title.
What he said: “My mental part, probably, on clay is one of the most important things.”
Finale : beat Roger Federer 7-5, 7-6 (3), 5-7, 6-1.
What he did: Improved to 4-0 against Federer in the French Open finals.
What he said: “If I win this tournament, I know my year will be fantastic.”
Finale : beat Djokovic 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2.
What he did: Captured a third consecutive major title and first in New York, completing his collection of Slam titles.
What he said: “I’m still 24, so we’ll see where I’m at when I finish my career.”
Finale : beat Tomas Berdych 6-3, 7-5, 6-4.
What he did: Crushed Roland-Garros and Wimbledon in one season for the second time. Was unable to defend his 2009 title at the All England Club due to a knee problem.
What he said: “If you want to play well, you will find a way.”
Finale : beat Robin Soderling 6-4, 6-2, 6-4.
What he did: Did not lose a set and crowned the conquest against Soderling, who had inflicted his first defeat at Roland Garros a year earlier.
What he did: Achieved his third consecutive victory over Federer in Grand Slam finals.
What he said: “Receiving this trophy from Rod Laver is a dream for me.”
Finale : beat Federer 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-7 (8), 9-7.
What he did: Won a thrilling match that ended almost after dark to capture a different French Open major title for the first time and prevented Federer from winning a sixth consecutive Wimbledon title.
What he did: The most lopsided men’s final at Roland Garros since 1977, allowing Nadal to become the first man since Borg in 1980 to win the event without dropping a set.
What he said: “I’m humbled, but numbers are numbers.”
Finale : beat Federer 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.
What he did: Saved 16 of 17 break points and became the second man since 1914 (Borg being the other) to have three consecutive French Open Cups.
What he said: “I’m very happy, but really sad for Roger.”
Finale : beat Federer 1-6, 6-1, 6-4, 7-6 (4).
What he did: Ended Federer’s 27-match Grand Slam winning streak and inflicted his first defeat in a major final (Federer was 7-0).
What he said: “A little luck, a little tennis, a little mental attitude.”
Finale : beat Mariano Puerta 6-7 (6), 6-3, 6-1, 7-5.
What he did: Two days after turning 19, Nadal became the first man to win the French Open on debut since Mats Wilander in 1982.
What he said: “When you reach your goal, it’s an extraordinary moment. For the first time, I cried after winning a match.”
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This article was translated from Spanish by an AP editor with the help of generative artificial intelligence.
