Rafael Nadal faces this Sunday against the Norwegian Casper Ruud his fourteenth final in Roland Garroswhere he has never lost a title match.
Sunday is set 🏆#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/tDDpsvP01O
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 3, 2022
2005: The arrival of the warrior
- Marian Gate (ARG): 6-7(6), 6-3, 6-1 y 7-5
Two days after turning 19, Nadal, who had dominated the clay court season, beat a Puerta who returned to the top of the circuit after a few years away for doping. The final was of a high level, especially the first and fourth sets. Nadal, dressed in his warrior “look” and his medium hair, imposed his style, returned impossible blows and ended up coming back to win his first Grand Slam.
2006: The beginning of a rivalry
- Roger Federer (SUI): 1-6, 6-1, 6-4 and 7-6(4)
In search of his fourth consecutive Grand Slam, the Swiss discovered his greatest rival, the only one who had defeated him that season in which he had 44 wins and 3 losses, all on clay, all against Nadal. The Swiss dominated until midway through the second set, when the Spaniard turned the final around and lifted his second crown.
2007: Federer’s revenge will have to wait
- Roger Federer (SUI): 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 and 6-4
It seemed like the year of the Swiss, who finally managed to defeat Nadal on clay in the final of the tournament in Rome. But the Spaniard maintained his status and re-imposed his rhythm, very physical, which ended up melting the Swiss in four sets.
2008: Federer’s bloodiest defeat
- Roger Federer (SUI): 6-1, 6-3 and 6-0
The match lasted less than two hours, a defeat that traumatized the Swiss for years against a Spaniard who dominated the clay court with an iron fist without anyone being able to come close to his level.
2010: The rematch against Soderling
- Robin Soderling (SUE): 6-4, 6-2 and 6-4
A year after suffering his first defeat against Soderling on the clay of Paris, Nadal unceremoniously took revenge, passing over the Swede, who, after that match, practically disappeared from the tennis planet. The Spaniard added his first major since the 2009 Australian Open and capped off a perfect season on clay with the icing on the cake of regaining world number one.
2011: “Sorry Roger, but I played a great game”
- Roger Federer (SUI): 7-5, 7-6 (3), 5-7 and 6-1
With those words, the Spaniard explained the result of the final, which everything indicated would be against Djokovic, but that the Swiss won in a brilliant semifinal. The Spaniard was once again much superior to achieve his sixth crown and equalize with the Swedish Bjorn Borg.
2012: A final in two days
- Novak Djokovic (BE): 6-4, 6-3, 2-6 and 7-5
The 2012 final is one of the most spectacular in history, which started on Sunday but was interrupted by rain and should have ended on Monday. The Serbian, number one in the world, a great dominator of the circuit, finally seemed in a position to dethrone the Spanish. But Nadal kept the crown from him and signed his 11th Grand Slam.
2013: Bend the warrior Ferrer
- David Ferrer (ESP): 6-3, 6-2 and 6-3
After an epic semifinal against Djokovic, Nadal’s most even match in Paris, the Spaniard faced his compatriot as the clear favorite, but knowing that the rival would put up a fight. Nadal added his eighth title in Paris and his twelfth major, beating Rod Laver and Bjorn Borg.
2014: Big Fourteen, tie with Sampras
- Novak Djokovic (BE): 3-6, 7-5, 6-2 and 6-4
The Serbian was confident of defeating the Spaniard, because he had done it four times before the Paris final. But Nadal once again demonstrated that on clay and after five sets his game goes up a lot and he came back from the first round to end up adding his fourteenth Grand Slam, which equaled Pete Sampras.
2017: Without a rival on the way to the tenth
- Stan Wawrinka (SUI): 6-2, 6-3 and 6-1
The Swiss, who had not lost any of his previous three Grand Slam finals, was barely able to compete against a dashing Nadal, who claimed the trophy losing just 35 games. It is the second most lopsided victory in a Paris final for the Spaniard. Nadal added his tenth crown, after two years of drought due to injuries.
2018: The relay has to wait
- Dominic Thiem (AUT): 6-4, 6-3 and 6-2
The Austrian had been designated as Nadal’s natural successor and 2018 the year of the relay. But Nadal showed that he had left reel, he won easily and equaled the record of victories in the same big that the Australian Margaert Court had.
2019: Thiem, too close, too far
- Dominic Thiem (AUT): 6-3, 5-7, 6-1 and 6-1
Nadal lost a set and that was news, but he added his twelfth title and the eighteenth major showing that Thiem, an exponent of the new generation, still had a long way to go.
2020: Masterpiece before number one
- Novak Djokovic (SER): 6-0, 6-2 and 7-5
It took a masterpiece to beat the number one in the world, who seemed invincible in that 2020, but who met a perfect Nadal, dominating, aggressive, unbeatable in the final that gave him his twentieth grand and, for the first time, placed at the height of Federer.
2022: A new rebirth?
Great favorite to beat the Norwegian, a specialist on clay but who had never before surpassed the round of 16 of a Grand Slam, Nadal aspires to add his fourteenth crown in Paris and his twenty-second Grand Slam, after a few months devastated by the injuries. A new rebirth like the one he experienced at the beginning of the season at the Australian Open.
With information from EFE
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