Rafael Nadal’s greatest French Open milestones ahead of official farewell
Rafael Nadal will officially bid an emotional farewell to the French Open in what is set to be a memorable retirement ceremony on Sunday.
However, his legacy will continue to loom large over Roland Garros, the tournament he came to define more than any other across his extraordinary career.
Here, we look back at five Nadal French Open records that look set to stand the test of time.
Most titles – 14
Nadal won 22 Grand Slam titles in total, the bulk of which came at the French Open – lifting the title 14 times over a 17-year span (2005-22).
The Spaniard has won over twice as many Roland Garros titles as anyone else in the Open Era, with Bjorn Borg’s six titles in Paris the second-best among men since 1968.
It is also the most Grand Slam titles won by any male player at an individual major in the Open Era, with Novak Djokovic’s haul of 10 Australian Open titles the second-biggest tally.
Most consecutive titles – 5
‘King of Clay’ Nadal dominated Roland Garros at points throughout his career, winning four straight titles from 2005-08, and again from 2017-20.
However, his best run came from 2010-14, when he won five consecutive Roland Garros titles at the absolute peak of his powers.
The only man to come close to Nadal in terms of consecutive French Open titles in the Open Era is Borg, who won four straight titles from 1978-81.
At other Grand Slams, Roger Federer won five straight Wimbledon and US Open titles, while Borg won five straight Wimbledon titles.
Most consecutive match wins – 39
After defeat at the 2009 French Open to Robin Soderling, Nadal did not lose again on the Parisian clay until falling to Djokovic in the 2015 quarter-finals.
That run saw Nadal not only lift five consecutive titles, but also win a staggering 39 straight matches – the most consecutive match wins recorded by any player in the men’s singles event.
The second-longest winning streak at the French Open also belongs to the Spaniard, claiming 35 straight wins from 2016-21; his third-round withdrawal in 2016 is not counted as a defeat.
Across all four majors, only Borg (41, Wimbledon) and Federer (40, Wimbledon & US Open) have recorded longer win streaks among men in Grand Slam events.
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Most match wins – 112
Nadal was close to untouchable at times in Paris, highlighted by his staggering record of 112 match wins at Roland Garros.
He is the only man in French Open history to have won 100+ matches in Paris, with Djokovic on 96 French Open wins heading into 2025.
His 112 match wins are the most of any man at an individual Grand Slam event, with Roger Federer’s 105 Wimbledon match wins the next best across all four majors.
Win percentage – 96.55%
Nadal famously tasted just four defeats at Roland Garros, starting with his shock loss to Soderling in the fourth round back in 2009.
That was followed by losses to Djokovic in the 2015 quarter-final and 2021 semi-final, before falling to Alexander Zverev in the opening round in 2024.
However, he ended his career with a staggering 112-4 record in Paris – an astonishing win percentage of 96.55% at the event.
That is the highest win percentage among men at the French Open, narrowly ahead of Borg’s record of 96.08%.
It is also the highest win percentage for any man at an individual Grand Slam event.
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