October has been hard for loyal fans with French Open tickets. It was the month when the great Rafael Nadal announced his retirement from the game.
While many fans doubted his return after his entry in 2024, now it is official—Nadal will not play again at the French Open.
A great player in the game and a master of the clay surface, Rafael Nadal leaves an unmatched record at Roland Garros.
Here’s an overview of Nadal’s achievements at Roland Garros.
No Losing Streaks
Nadal becomes the man with the longest single-surface winning streak in ATP history (81 consecutive wins on the clay, from April 2005 to May 2007) and has never lost consecutive matches on his beloved clay. Additionally, Nadal has not lost consecutive matches at Roland Garros either.
His last match was against Alexander Zverev in the opening round. This was the last time people with French Open tickets had the opportunity to see the great play.
Overall Record
Nadal’s overall record at Roland-Garros remains beyond compare at 112-4. No other male player has won as many matches at a single Grand Slam, and Nadal’s 97.39 winning percentage in Paris is the best by any player at a single Grand Slam tournament.
No other man or woman has reached 100 wins on the Parisian clay.
From the late 2000s, all those with options with French Open tickets had the privilege of seeing greatness take shape. It might take a few more decades to see another magnanimous streak of this nature at the French Open.
Picture Perfect Finals
A known fact about Rafael Nadal and his dominance among fans with French Open tickets is that whenever he makes a final, he also wins it.
Nadal’s record of 14-0 in Roland-Garros finals is another of his unfathomable achievements. Adding to the mystique is that Nadal has faced a top 10 player in all but one of his 14 title matches in Paris, and he has won five against the ATP’s No.1-ranked player.
At the time, the Spaniard was the lowest-ranked player in six of Nadal’s 14 finals inside Court Philippe-Chatrier.
Nadal has won seven of his finals in straight sets, with the other seven clinched in four sets.
He has never been pushed to a decider in a Roland-Garros final.
The Unbeatable Win Streak
Nadal amassed a record-breaking Roland-Garros streak of 39 consecutive victories from 2010 to 2015. His heater started in 2010, ran through five consecutive titles from 2010-2014, and finally was stopped by Djokovic in the quarter-finals in 2015.
During the 39-match streak, Nadal secured victory in straight sets 30 times.
Nadal has pulled off three streaks of at least 30 consecutive victories in Paris. He reeled off a 35-match winning streak that lasted from 2016 until he was defeated again by Djokovic in the semi-finals in 2021, and he started his career on a 31-match winning streak.
They are the three longest winning streaks – men’s or women’s – in tournament history.
Never Lost a 5th Set
Nadal has never lost a decider at Roland Garros, but he has been taken to five sets on three different occasions. The Spaniard scored five-set wins over John Isner in the first round in 2011, Djokovic in the semi-finals of the 2013 edition, and Felix Auger-Aliassime in the round of 16 in 2022.
Every year, Nadal has been taken to five sets in a match in Paris, and he has raised the Coupe des Mousquetaires.
Fast Out of the Blocks
Nadal began his Roland-Garros career as a teenager, but his lack of experience didn’t stop him from dominating out of the blocks. The Spaniard won the title on his first four appearances, in 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008, and claimed victory in his first 31 matches on the terre battue of Paris.
A Famous Debut
Nadal is one of two men’s singles players to have won a Roland-Garros title on his main draw debut. The other is Mats Wilander, who claimed his first title in 1982.
Praise from Former Greats
Former French Open champion Michael Chang says Rafael Nadal’s dominance on the clay courts remains “unfathomable” and will not be matched in our lifetime.
Chang is still the youngest man to win a singles major, doing so at age 17 and 109 days at the 1989 French Open, but the former professional believes no one will come close to retiring Nadal.
The Spaniard will end his storied career after next month’s Davis Cup Finals on home soil in Malaga, having managed 22 grand slam titles.
A remarkable 14 of those came at the French Open, the most of any player at a single major in history, and Chang cannot see another competitor getting close to Nadal’s exploits.
Asked by Stats Perform if another player can dominate like Nadal at Roland-Garros, Chang said: “It’s difficult to say. We don’t see anyone as dominant as Rafa on clay in our lifetime.
“His record is unbelievable. For him to win 14 French Opens is unfathomable.”
Nadal’s unbelievable 96.6% win rate at the French Open (112 wins from 116 matches) is the best player at a grand slam event in men’s singles.
Indeed, only Novak Djokovic (twice), Robin Soderling, and Alexander Zverev have ever beaten the 38-year-old at the tournament.
His 14-0 record in the Roland-Garros finals is also the best recorded by anyone at an event in the Open Era. Chang lauds his dominance on clay and his adaptability on other surfaces.
“He grew up playing on clay in Spain and being a lefty, so he knew the angles and calculations better than anyone else,” Chang added.
“What’s amazing is that he’s been able to take that style of play and modify it for success on grass and hard courts.
“We’ve had great clay-court players who couldn’t translate that success to other surfaces, but Rafa is not one of them.
“His volleying skills are among the best on tour, which you wouldn’t normally say about other Spanish players, except for [Carlos] Alcaraz now.”
Only three tournaments have been won more than ten times by the same player in the Open Era—Roland-Garros (14), Barcelona (12), and Monte-Carlo (11), all by Nadal on the clay.
For that reason, Chang believes Nadal’s legacy will leave a long-lasting impression on those who witnessed his greatness on the French clay.
“It is incredible what he has done at the French Open, and his passion and love for winning there is incredible. His record speaks for itself,” Chang concluded.
French Open tickets for the Roland Garros 2025 are now available for early options.