Nadal at Roland Garros | The 14-Title Reign of the King of Clay

Rafael Nadal won 14 Roland Garros titles between 2005 and 2022 — the most by any player at any single Grand Slam in tennis history. His 112-4 career match record at Roland Garros is a 96.5% win rate that no other player has ever achieved at any major. Across his 18-year reign on the Parisian clay he beat Roger Federer four times in finals, Novak Djokovic twice, and lost only four matches in his career on the courts where he made his name. The man known as “The King of Clay” has a Roland Garros legacy that, in pure tournament dominance, may never be matched in any era of tennis.

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Nadal retired from professional tennis in November 2024 at the Davis Cup Finals. This is the complete record of his Roland Garros career — every title, every final, every defining moment, and the records that put his fortnight in Paris in a class of its own. For the full list of every men’s and women’s champion since the Open Era, see our complete French Open winners list.

Nadal at Roland Garros: The Records

Record	Detail
Singles titles	14 (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022)
Career match record	112 wins, 4 losses (96.5%)
Finals record	14-0 — never lost a final at Roland Garros
Sets dropped in winning runs	26 sets across 14 titles (avg under 2 per title)
Titles without dropping a set	4 (2008, 2010, 2017, 2020)
Consecutive titles	4 (2005-08), then 5 (2010-14)
First title	2005 — at age 19, on Roland Garros debut
Final title	2022 — at age 36, with chronic foot injection
Career losses at RG	Soderling (2009 R16), Djokovic (2015 QF), Djokovic (2021 SF), Zverev (2024 R1)

Nadal’s 14 Roland Garros titles are more than the next two most successful men’s players at any single Slam combined: Federer’s 8 Wimbledons and Djokovic’s 10 Australian Opens. His 96.5% win rate at Roland Garros is also higher than any player has achieved at any tournament in the Open Era.

All 14 Roland Garros Finals

Year	Opponent	Score	Notes
2005	Mariano Puerta	6-7(6), 6-3, 6-1, 7-5	Won on debut, age 19
2006	Roger Federer	1-6, 6-1, 6-4, 7-6(4)	First of four wins over Federer in finals
2007	Roger Federer	6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4	Third consecutive title
2008	Roger Federer	6-1, 6-3, 6-0	Most lopsided men’s final in RG history
2010	Robin Soderling	6-4, 6-2, 6-4	Revenge for 2009 R16 loss
2011	Roger Federer	7-5, 7-6(3), 5-7, 6-1	Sixth title, equalled Bjorn Borg’s record
2012	Novak Djokovic	6-4, 6-3, 2-6, 7-5	Seventh title — broke Borg’s record
2013	David Ferrer	6-3, 6-2, 6-3	Eighth title — first all-Spanish RG final since 2002
2014	Novak Djokovic	3-6, 7-5, 6-2, 6-4	Fifth consecutive title (2010-14)
2017	Stan Wawrinka	6-2, 6-3, 6-1	“La Decima” — tenth title without dropping a set
2018	Dominic Thiem	6-4, 6-3, 6-2	Eleventh title
2019	Dominic Thiem	6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1	Twelfth title
2020	Novak Djokovic	6-0, 6-2, 7-5	Without dropping a set; equalled Federer’s 20 Slams
2022	Casper Ruud	6-3, 6-3, 6-0	Fourteenth — final title, played with chronic foot injection

The Defining Moments

2005: 19 Years Old, Roland Garros Debut

Nadal arrived at Roland Garros 2005 having just turned 19 and never having played the tournament. He beat Mariano Puerta in a four-set final to become the second-youngest male champion in Open Era history. From that moment, Roland Garros became his tournament. He would win it on debut and 13 more times across the next 17 years.

2008: 6-1, 6-3, 6-0 — The Most Dominant Final in History

The 2008 final against Federer remains the most lopsided men’s final in Roland Garros history. Nadal lost just four games and dispatched the man who would, six weeks later, beat him on grass at Wimbledon in arguably the greatest final ever played. The 2008 Roland Garros performance was the moment Nadal moved from “best clay player” to “the most dominant player on any single surface in the modern game”.

2012: Breaking Borg’s Record

Nadal’s seventh title in 2012 — coming after a four-set win over Djokovic that had been suspended due to rain after two days — broke Bjorn Borg’s record of six Roland Garros titles, a record that had stood since 1981. Borg himself attended later editions to acknowledge the new standard-bearer.

2017: La Decima

After two years without a Roland Garros title — losing in 2015 to Djokovic and missing 2016 with a wrist injury — Nadal returned in 2017 and won the tournament without dropping a set, beating Wawrinka 6-2, 6-3, 6-1 in the final. The “Decima” — tenth title — was widely seen as the moment Nadal definitively reclaimed his throne after a period when many had written off his prospects of ever returning to the top.

2020: The Empty Roland Garros

The 2020 final, played in October because of COVID-19, ended 6-0, 6-2, 7-5 to Nadal. It was the second time in his career he had won Roland Garros without dropping a set, and it equalled Federer’s 20 Grand Slam titles — the first time anyone had matched the Swiss in the men’s draw. The “first set bagel” against Djokovic in a Slam final remains one of the most discussed scoreline moments of the modern era.

2022: The Final Title

Nadal’s 14th and final Roland Garros title in 2022 was won with a chronic foot injury that required regular anaesthetic injections to play. He beat Casper Ruud 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 in the final. He had no idea at the time it would be his last — he played the 2024 edition but lost in the first round to Alexander Zverev, and retired from professional tennis later that year.

The Four Losses

Across 18 Roland Garros campaigns Nadal lost only four matches. They are now part of tennis folklore in their own right.

• 2009 R16 vs Robin Soderling (4-6, 6-7, 6-4, 6-7): The shock loss that ended a 31-match Roland Garros winning streak. Knee tendinitis was later cited as a contributing factor.
• 2015 QF vs Novak Djokovic (5-7, 3-6, 1-6): Nadal’s most lopsided defeat at Roland Garros, in a year when Djokovic was at the absolute peak of his powers.
• 2021 SF vs Novak Djokovic (6-3, 4-6, 6-7, 2-6): A four-set classic widely regarded as one of the greatest Roland Garros matches ever played. Nadal led by a set and was at peak form, but Djokovic produced one of his greatest performances.
• 2024 R1 vs Alexander Zverev (3-6, 6-7, 1-6): Nadal’s farewell appearance at Roland Garros. Hampered by chronic injury, he lost in the first round but received an extended ovation from a crowd that knew this was his goodbye.

The Records That May Never Be Broken

• 14 titles at a single Slam: No one has ever come close. Djokovic’s 10 Australian Opens is the closest active comparable.
• 96.5% win rate at a single Slam: No player has achieved 90%+ at any major over a comparable career length.
• 14-0 in finals at a single Slam: Only player in Open Era history to be undefeated in 10+ finals at any Slam.
• Four titles without dropping a set: Joint-most across any single Grand Slam.
• Five consecutive titles (2010-14): Equal-most consecutive titles at any Slam in the Open Era (Federer also won five Wimbledons in a row, 2003-07).

Nadal vs Federer at Roland Garros

Nadal and Federer met at Roland Garros six times in total — four finals (all Nadal wins) and two semi-finals (also both Nadal wins). The head-to-head at Roland Garros stands at 6-0 in Nadal’s favour. The 2008 final (6-1, 6-3, 6-0) and the 2009 semi-final hand-off — Soderling beating Nadal in the round of 16 to send Federer to his career-completing only Roland Garros title — remain among the most discussed matches in their rivalry. See our Nadal vs Federer head-to-head for the full record.

Nadal vs Djokovic at Roland Garros

Nadal and Djokovic played each other 10 times at Roland Garros — the most-played rivalry in the tournament’s Open Era. Nadal leads the head-to-head 8-2, including two title-winning finals (2012, 2014, 2020). Djokovic’s two wins came in the 2015 quarter-final and the 2021 semi-final — the only player to beat Nadal at Roland Garros more than once. See our Djokovic vs Nadal head-to-head for the full record.

The Statue at Roland Garros

In May 2021, the Federation Francaise de Tennis unveiled a 3-metre tall stainless steel statue of Nadal at the Place des Mousquetaires inside Roland Garros — the area where the trophy ceremony takes place. The statue, designed by Spanish sculptor Jordi Diez Fernandez, captures Nadal mid-forehand follow-through and stands alongside the existing statues of the Four Musketeers (Henri Cochet, Jean Borotra, Rene Lacoste, Jacques Brugnon). It is the only statue of an active-era player at the venue.

FAQs

How many times has Nadal won the French Open?

Rafael Nadal won the French Open 14 times — the most titles by any player at any single Grand Slam in tennis history.

What is Nadal’s win-loss record at Roland Garros?

112 wins, 4 losses across 19 appearances between 2005 and 2024 — a 96.5% win rate.

When did Nadal win his first French Open?

Nadal won his first French Open in 2005 at the age of 19, on his Roland Garros debut, beating Mariano Puerta in a four-set final.

When did Nadal win his last French Open?

Nadal’s 14th and final Roland Garros title came in 2022, when he beat Casper Ruud 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 in the final. He played at Roland Garros twice more (2022 SF, 2024 R1) before retiring from professional tennis in November 2024.

Who has beaten Nadal at Roland Garros?

Only two players have beaten Nadal at Roland Garros: Robin Soderling (2009 R16), Novak Djokovic (twice — 2015 QF, 2021 SF), and Alexander Zverev (2024 R1).

How many Roland Garros titles did Nadal win without dropping a set?

Four: 2008, 2010, 2017 and 2020. The 2008 final against Federer (6-1, 6-3, 6-0) remains the most lopsided men’s Roland Garros final in tournament history.