Rafael Nadal Reveals His Most Memorable Matches Out Of 100 French Open Wins

Rafael Nadal swept the entire 2020 French Open and did not drop a single set on his way to 100 Roland Garros wins. The “King of Clay” revealed that among these victories, the ones where he struggled were his most memorable matches.

"Perhaps, the wins after difficult times, are the ones that are the most fulfilling," Nadal told ATPTour.com.

The 13-time French Open winner mentioned one match against Novak Djokovic that proved to be one of the hardest he has ever played.

"But, perhaps, if I had to choose one, it would be the semi-final against Djokovic in 2013. It was very valuable to me," Nadal said.

He also highlighted his 2012 run where he didn’t drop a single set prior to the finals. He was able to get a little payback against Djokovic as he defeated the Serbian star in four sets, 6-4, 6-3, 2-6, 7-5.

"The 2012 final was also valuable because I had lost three consecutive Grand Slam finals against Novak," Nadal shared.

"Both the 2013 semi-final and also this 2012 final were important matches. There have been many others, it is difficult to choose one," he continued.

Nadal then pointed out that winning in 2013 was very special to him because he was able to show his resilience and ability to bounce back from adversity.

"Winning in 2013 meant much more to me because I had just had a very long injury, after many months without playing," the left-handed star said.

The world No. 2 player reiterated that he had the same feeling in 2017 when he beat Stan Wawrinka in straight sets.

"Winning here in 2017 was incredible because in 2017 I had also just had a very difficult injury," the clay-court specialist shared.

This year featured another dominant display from Nadal as he defeated Djokovic in a 41-minute drubbing, 6-0, 6-2, 7-5. This is the 20th Grand Slam title of the 34-year-old's career, and he has tied Roger Federer for the most majors in the men’s division.