Rafa’s Dirty Dozen And More

That Rafael Nadal is the greatest of all time on clay is undeniable – even Borg’s own mother must have come to terms with it by now. 

No one, man or woman, has ever managed to win the same Slam 12 times. No one, except for him, who managed the feat in Paris, ça va sans dire.

Without the pandemic, the Spaniard could have celebrated his birthday, as usual, in his home away from home (a home with a roof now, and retractable too), and perhaps he could have taken another step forward, tasting that Slam-tally supremacy (albeit shared) he’s been chasing his entire life. Who knows whether fate will give him other chances – only time will tell.

There is another statistical nugget though, more subtle and neglected, that asserts, with even greater emphasis, his might and his undisputed dominance on the surface. Said nugget is that, over a 15-year span, Rafa has played 120 3-out-of-5 matches, including those at the Bois de Boulogne, the old Davis Cup (we miss you so!), a few Masters Series finals, and more.

Well, his record in these matches is the following: 118 wins and 2 losses. 118-2.

In my opinion, this is the most impressive achievement in the history of the game BC (Before Covid), and thus deserves to be handed down to posterity as my personal birthday gift.

To all fans, have a nice read!

2004

1. Davis SF Clement (65) W 64 61 62
2. Davis F Roddick (2) W 67(6) 62 76(6) 62

2005

1. Montecarlo F Coria (9) W 63 61 06 75
2. Barcellona F Ferrero (58) W 61 76(4) 63
3. Roma F Coria (11) W 64 36 63 46 76(6)
4. RG R128 Burgsmuller (96) W 61 76(4) 61
5. RG R64 Malisse (46) W 62 62 64
6. RG R32 Gasquet (31) W 64 63 62
7. RG R16 Grosjean (24) W 64 36 60 63
8. RG QF Ferrer (21) W 75 62 60
9. RG SF Federer (1) W 63 46 64 63
10. RG F Puerta (37) W 67(6) 63 61 75
11. Stoccarda F Gaudio (13) W 63 63 64
12. Davis P.O. Bracciali (92) W 63 62 61
13. Davis P.O. Seppi (78) W 61 62 57 64

2006

1. Montecarlo F Federer (1) W 62 67(2) 63 76(5)
2. Barcellona F Robredo (15) W 64 64 60
3. Roma F Federer (1) W 67(0) 76(5) 64 26 76(5)
4. RG R128 Soderling (50) W 62 75 61
5. RG R64 Kim (116) W 62 61 64
6. RG R32 Mathieu (32) W 57 64 64 64
7. RG R16 Hewitt (14) W 62 57 64 62
8. RG QF Djokovic (63) W 64 64 RET
9. RG SF Ljubicic (4) W 64 62 76(7)
10. RG F Federer (1) W 16 61 64 76(4)
11. Davis P.O. Seppi (69) W 60 64 63
12. Davis P.O. Volandri (38) W 36 75 63 63

2007

1. RG R128 Del Potro (59) W 75 63 62
2. RG R64 Cipolla (227) W 62 61 64
3. RG R32 Montanes (50) W 61 63 62
4. RG R16 Hewitt (16) W 63 61 76(5)
5. RG QF Moya (26) W 64 63 60
6. RG SF Djokovic (6) W 75 64 62
7. RG F Federer (1) W 63 46 63 64

2008

1. RG R128 Bellucci (76) W 75 63 61
2. RG R64 Devilder (148) W 64 60 61
3. RG R32 Nieminen (26) W 61 63 61
4. RG R16 Verdasco (23) W 61 60 62
5. RG QF Almagro (20) W 61 61 61
6. RG SF Djokovic (3) W 64 62 76(3)
7. RG F Federer (1) W 61 63 60
8. Davis SF Querrey (39) W 67(5) 64 63 64
9. Davis SF Roddick (8) W 64 60 64

2009

1. Davis 1st RD Tipsarevic (47) W 61 60 62
2. Davis 1st RD Djokovic (3) W 64 64 61
3. RG R128 M. Daniel (97) W 75 64 63
4. RG R64 Gabashvili (72) W 61 64 62
5. RG R32 Hewitt (48) W 61 63 61
6. RG R16 Soderling (25) L 26 76(2) 46 67(2)
7. Davis F Berdych (20) W 75 60 62

2010

1. RG R128 Mina (655) W 62 62 62
2. RG R64 Zeballos (44) W 62 62 63
3. RG R32 Hewitt (33) W 63 64 63
4. RG R16 Bellucci (29) W 62 75 64
5. RG QF Almagro (21) W 76(2) 76(3) 64
6. RG SF Melzer (27) W 62 63 76(6)
7. RG F Soderling (7) W 64 62 64

2011

1. RG R128 Isner (39) W 64 67(2) 67(2) 62 64
2. RG R64 Andujar (48) W 75 63 76(4)
3. RG R32 Veic (227) W 61 63 60
4. RG R16 Ljubicic (37) W 75 63 63
5. RG QF Soderling (5) W 64 61 76(3)
6. RG SF Murray (4) W 64 75 64
7. RG F Federer (3) W 75 76(3) 57 61
8. Davis SF Gasquet (15) W 63 60 61
9. Davis SF Tsonga (10) W 60 62 64
10. Davis F Monaco (26) W 61 61 62
11. Davis F Del Potro (11) W 16 64 61 76(0)

2012

1. RG R128 Bolelli (111) W 62 62 61
2. RG R64 Istomin (43) W 62 62 60
3. RG R32 Schwank (192) W 61 63 64
4. RG R16 Monaco (15) W 62 60 60
5. RG QF Almagro (13) W 76(4) 62 63
6. RG SF Ferrer (6) W 62 62 61
7. RG F Djokovic (1) W 64 63 26 75

2013 

1. RG R128 Brands (59) W 46 76(4) 64 63
2. RG R64 Klizan (35) W 46 63 63 63
3. RG R32 Fognini (29) W 76(5) 64 64
4. RG R16 Nishikori (15) W 64 61 63
5. RG QF Wawrinka (10) W 62 63 61
6. RG SF Djokovic (1) W 64 36 61 67(3) 97
7. RG F Ferrer (5) W 63 62 63
8. Davis P.O. Stakhovsky (92) W 60 64 64

2014 

1. RG R128 Ginepri (279) W 60 63 60
2. RG R64 Thiem (57) W 62 62 63
3. RG R32 L. Mayer (65) W 62 75 62
4. RG R16 Lajovic (83) W 61 62 61
5. RG QF Ferrer (5) W 46 64 60 61
6. RG SF Murray (8) W 63 62 61
7. RG F Djokovic (2) W 36 75 62 64

2015 

1. RG R128 Halys (296) W 63 63 64
2. RG R64 Almagro (154) W 64 63 61
3. RG R32 Kuznetsov (120) W 61 63 62
4. RG R16 Sock (37) W 63 61 57 62
5. RG QF Djokovic (1) L 57 36 16

2016 

1. RG R128 Groth (100) W 61 61 61
2. RG R64 Bagnis (99) W 63 60 63

2017

1. RG R128 Paire (45) W 61 64 61
2. RG R64 Haase (46) W 61 64 63
3. RG R32 Basilashvili (63) W 60 61 60
4. RG R16 Bautista Agut (18) W 61 62 62
5. RG QF Carreno Busta (21) W 62 20 RET
6. RG SF Thiem (7) W 63 64 60
7. RG F Wawrinka (3) W 62 63 61

2018

1. Davis QF Kohlschreiber (34) W 62 62 63
2. Davis QF A. Zverev (4) W 61 64 64
3. RG R128 Bolelli (129) W 64 63 76(9)
4. RG R64 Pella (78) W 62 61 61
5. RG R32 Gasquet (32) W 63 62 62
6. RG R16 Marterer (70) W 63 62 76(4)
7. RG QF Schwartzman (12) W 46 63 62 62
8. RG SF Del Potro (6) W 64 61 62
9. RG F Thiem (8) W 64 63 62

2019 

1. RG R128 Hanfnann (180) W 62 61 63
2. RG R64 Maden (114) W 61 62 64
3. RG R32 Goffin (29) W 61 63 46 63
4. RG R16 Londero (78) W 62 63 63
5. RG QF Nishikori (7) W 61 61 63
6. RG SF Federer (3) W 63 64 62
7. RG F Thiem (4) W 63 57 61 61

120 matches by the numbers

• Total sets played: 391
• Total sets won: 353 (90,28%)
• Total sets lost: 38 (9,72%)
• Total five-setters: 4 (3,33%, all wins, among which one went the distance and two to a deciding tie-breaker)
• Total tie-breaks played: 33 (8,44%, 24 wins and 9 losses)
• Total 6-0 bagels: 26 (6,65%, 25 for him and 1 against)
• Matches played at the French Open: 95 (93 wins e 2 losses)
• Davis Cup ties: 18 (all wins)
• Total matches against Top 10 competition: 35 (34 wins and 1 loss)
• Total matches against number 1-ranked opponents: 9 (8 wins and 1 loss)
• Number of finals played (excluding the Davis Cup): 19 (all wins)
• Number of finals played at the French Open: 12 (all wins)

The opponents

• 8 times: Federer (4 RG F, 2 RG SF, 1 Montecarlo F, 1 Roma F, all wins), Djokovic (2 RG F, 3 RG SF, 2 RG QF, 1 Davis, one loss)
• 4 times: Ferrer, Hewitt, Soderling (1 loss), Thiem, Almagro
• 3 times: Gasquet, Del Potro
• 2 times: Coria, Roddick, Wawrinka, Murray, Ljubicic, Seppi, Bolelli, Bellucci, Monaco, Nishikori
• 1 time: Verdasco, Fognini, Carreno Busta, Robredo, Berdych, Clement, Ferrero, Burgsmuller, Malisse, Grosjean, Puerta, Gaudio, Bracciali, Kim, Mathieu, Volandri, Cipolla, Montanes, Moya, Devilder, Nieminen, Querrey, Tipsarevic, M. Daniel, Gabashvili, Mina, Zeballos, Melzer, Isner, Andujar, Veic, Tsonga, Istomin, Schwank, Brands, Klizan, Stakhovsky, Ginepri, L. Mayer, Lajovic, Halys, Kuznetsov, Sock, Groth, Bagnis, Paire, Haase, Basilashvili, Bautista Agut, Kohlschreiber, A. Zverev, Pella, Marterer, Schwartzman, Hanfmann, Maden, Goffin, Londero.

 Some final considerations

• Of the 120 considered matches, 95 took place at the French Open, 18 in the Davis Cup (all wins), and seven were ATP finals (all wins);
• Of the 95 matches played at the French Open, 91 were wins in three or four sets. The others are his only two losses, one against Soderling in 2009 and one against Djokovic in 2015, and two five-set wins, one against Djokovic in 2013 and one against Isner in 2011;
• On his way to 12 French Open title, Rafa beat Roger and Nole six times each;
• Rafa is 12-0 in French Open semifinals (three against Nole, two against Roger) and finals (four against Roger and two against Nole). Therefore, the 12 times he’s reached the semis he’s always won the tournament.

 

FELIZ CUMPLEAÑOS CAMPEÓN!

Article translated  by Tommaso Villa