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Rafael Nadal is set to contest yet another French Open final, but the journey to Sunday’s summit clash has been anything but easy.
The Spaniard’s clay season prior to Roland Garros was rather dismal. An injury he sustained during the Indian Wells Open semifinals in March caused him to miss the Monte-Carlo Masters and the Barcelona Open.
Nadal's first tournament on clay this season was the Madrid Open, where he made it to the quarterfinals before losing to Carlos Alcaraz 6-2, 1-6, 6-3. His title defense at the Italian Open ended in the third round against Denis Shapovalov, as a recurring foot injury reared its ugly head once again.
Despite the unfavorable circumstances, someone with a 105-3 win loss record and 13 Roland Garros titles was always going to be one of the top contenders in Paris.
The 36-year-old began the tournament in fine form, defeating Jordan Thompson, Corentin Moutet and Botic van de Zandschulp in straight sets in his first three matches.
Despite being put to the test by Felix Auger-Aliassime in the fourth round, Nadal managed to battle his way through, beating the Canadian in five sets. In the quarterfinals, arch rival and defending champion Novak Djokovic was beaten in four sets.
Nadal's semifinal opponent was World No. 3 Alexander Zverev. The Spaniard needed to dig deep to overcome an early deficit and push the first set to a tie-break, where he saved four set points before clinching the opener.
The second set featured eight service breaks across the first nine games. In the 12th game of the set, Zverev suffered a nasty injury that forced him to retire, sending Nadal to the final.
Rafael Nadal will square off against Casper Ruud for a record-breaking 14th French Open title and a 22nd Grand Slam crown. The Spaniard is 13-0 in Roland Garros finals.
Here's a look at the seven different players the Spaniard beat en route to his 13 Roland Garros titles:
1) Mariano Puerta (2005)
Nadal made his French Open debut in 2005. He ended up winning his maiden Grand Slam title at the tournament. His opponent in the final was Mariano Puerta, who had just returned to the tour after completing a nine-month doping ban.
Nadal lost a closely contested opening set, but won the next two quite easily. The duo were evenly matched for most of the fourth set, and the Spaniard emerged victorious to win the title.
Puerta was again found guilty of a doping offence in December 2005 and was subsequently banned. He returned to the sport in 2007, but was unable to make a significant impact.
2) Roger Federer (2006, 2007, 2008 and 2011)
The mid-2000s witnessed the emergence of one of the greatest rivalries across all sports. Roger Federer was the top dog of the tennis world at the time, but found a worthy contender in Rafael Nadal.
The Spaniard defeated him in the semifinals of the 2005 French Open, which was their first encounter in Paris.
Nadal then beat Federer in the French Open title clash three years in a row. While the 2006 and 2007 finals were competitive, the 2008 final was quite one-sided, with the Spaniard registering a dominant 6-1, 6-3, 6-0 win. Nadal's supremacy at the French Open prevented Federer from completing a career Grand Slam for four years.
The Swiss finally triumphed in Paris in 2009 after Nadal suffered a shock fourth-round loss to Robin Soderling, his first in the tournament.
3) Robin Soderling (2010)
Robin Soderling made headlines when he pulled off one of the biggest upsets in tennis history. In 2009, he handed Rafael Nadal his first ever loss at the French Open, defeating him 6-2, 6-7 (2), 6-4, 7-6 (2) in the fourth round en route to the final, where he lost to Federer.
Soderling then defeated defending champion Federer in the quarterfinals the following year to make it to the final, where he was up against Nadal.
The Swede was no match for the Spaniard this time around, as Nadal stormed to a 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 victory to clinch his fifth title in Paris. This was the first of five consecutive French Open titles.
4) Novak Djokovic (2012, 2014 and 2020)
While Roger Federer was Rafael Nadal's primary rival in the first half of his career, Novak Djokovic's ascendance to the top ended the duo's dominance. The trio would break numerous records and script history, while delivering some tantalizing matches.
The Nadal-Djokovic rivalry is the most prolific rivalry in the history of the sport, with the duo contesting 59 matches so far. Their encounters at the French Open mostly swung Nadal's way. However, Djokovic is responsible for two of the Spaniard's three losses in Paris, defeating him in 2015 and 2021.
Nadal won the 2012 French Open final against the Serb in four sets, in their first title clash in Paris. They met in the title round once again in 2014, with the Spaniard coming from a set down to win the trophy.
Nadal won the 2020 final with ease, dismantling the Serb 6-0, 6-2, 7-5. Their most recent encounter at the French Open was in the quarterfinals this year, with the King of Clay winning in four sets.
5) David Ferrer (2013)
In a different era, David Ferrer could've easily scooped up a couple of Grand Slam titles. Unfortunately, he had to contend with the sport's three titans - Federer, Nadal and Djokovic. He did end up having a remarkable career though, with his run to the 2013 French Open final being one of the highlights.
Ferrer consistently reached the second week of Grand Slams and finally had a chance to compete for the title when he made it to the final of the French Open in 2013. Up against compatriot Nadal in the title round, he was unable to do much damage as he lost in straight sets.
With the win, Nadal picked up his eighth title in Paris and 12th Grand Slam overall.
6) Stan Wawrinka (2017)
After struggling for two years with injuries and poor form, Rafael Nadal had a resurgence in 2017. He made it to the Australian Open final, where he lost to Federer in five sets.
Nadal then had a successful clay season in the lead-up to Roland Garros, winning three titles. He continued his good run of form in Paris, making it to the final, where he took on three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka.
The Swiss, who came out on top against the Spaniard in the 2014 Australian Open final, was no match for Nadal on clay, falling 6-2, 6-3, 6-1. It was the Mallorcan's 10th French Open title and his first in three years. He won the title without losing a set, dropping just 35 games throughout the tournament.
7) Dominic Thiem (2018 and 2019)
Dominic Thiem established himself as the heir apparent to Rafael Nadal on clay with his results at the French Open. After consecutive semifinal losses in 2016 and 2017, he made it to the final in 2018.
But the Austrian was unable to get past the finish line, falling to Nadal in straight sets. The duo met in the final once again in 2019, and while Thiem was able to take a set off Nadal, he lost the match in four.
Injuries have derailed Thiem's career since then, with his last two outings at the French Open ending in the first round.
Nadal, on the other hand, will be aiming to rewrite history once again as he takes on Casper Ruud in the final on Sunday.
What is the foot injury that has troubled Rafael Nadal over the years? Check here
