The legendary rivalry between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal produced some of the most unforgettable matches in tennis history.
Throughout their rivalry, they faced off in some historic matches, with the intense five-set finals at Wimbledon in 2008 and the Australian Open in 2017 being particularly memorable.
One of their most one-sided encounters occurred in the 2008 French Open final.
Prior to his 2009 victory at Roland Garros which he once called his ‘greatest win’—20-time Grand Slam champion Federer had never lifted the iconic trophy on Court Philippe Chatrier.
Nadal was the one who consistently stood in Federer’s way, beating him in the French Open final three consecutive times from 2006 to 2008.
The 2008 loss was particularly crushing for Federer, as he was completely outplayed and lost in straight sets to the undisputed king of clay.
It ranked among the most lopsided defeats in Grand Slam final history, leaving Federer stunned by the level of dominance he had faced.
After the loss, Federer remarked, “When he attacks, he’s unstoppable, and his defensive shots were amazing. I had a slight opportunity in the second set, but he played an outstanding tournament. Delivering a performance like this truly demonstrates what a great champion he is.
“He essentially hits like having two forehands from the baseline due to his open stance on both sides, giving him a major advantage, along with incredible mental toughness. I don’t think my serve was poor, but his return game has improved tremendously, and I quickly realized I was powerless against it.
The match ended with the Spaniard winning 6-1, 6-3, 6-0, securing his fourth straight French Open title and matching Bjorn Borg’s streak from 1978 to 1981.
Nadal achieved this dominant victory over Federer in just one hour and 48 minutes, marking it as the second most one-sided final at Roland Garros in the Open Era after Guillermo Vilas’ 1977 triumph.
Rafael Nadal remained undefeated at the French Open between 2005 and 2008.
Nadal won his first Roland Garros title during his debut in 2005.
Dominating his matches to defeat Federer in the semi-final and Mariano Puerta in the final.
The following year, he lost only two sets on his way to the final, where he began his series of three straight French Open final encounters with Federer.
| Year | Result | Final Opponent |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Winner | Roger Federer |
| 2007 | Winner | Roger Federer |
| 2006 | Winner | Roger Federer |
| 2005 | Winner | Mariano Puerta |
The 22-time Grand Slam winner had an even stronger performance in 2007, losing just one set during the entire tournament, and that was in the final.
He completed his fourth consecutive title in 2008 with a commanding win over Federer, marking his 12th overall victory against the Swiss star, and extending his clay-court lead over him to 10-1.
Nadal’s streak of victories at the French Open was broken in 2009 when he was unexpectedly defeated by Robin Soderling in the fourth round.
However, this setback didn’t diminish his dominance on clay, as he went on to win five consecutive titles from 2010 to 2015 and ultimately ended his career with a record 14 Roland Garros championships.
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