How many matches has Rafael Nadal lost at the French Open? The only men to inflict defeat on Spanish great at Roland-Garros

With 14 French Open titles to his name across his illustrious career, the ‘King of Clay’ Rafael Nadal has dominated Roland-Garros.

Nadal has enjoyed a stunning record at the championship since winning his first title all the way back in 2005 when he was just 19 years old.

The 22-time grand slam champion is synonymous with the tournament and is by far the most successful men’s singles competitor in its history.

Nadal confirmed he will retire following the 2024 Davis Cup Finals in November, meaning his astonishing record on the clay of the French capital will remain unchanged.

MORE: Is Nadal the GOAT of men’s tennis? The Sporting News ranks the greatest

How many matches has Rafael Nadal lost at the French Open?

Nadal has only ever lost four matches at the French Open.

Those defeats came in 2009, 2015, 2021, and 2023. He only reached the third round in 2016, but he withdrew from that event due to injury, so the result is not officially recorded as a loss.

Who has Rafael Nadal lost to at Roland-Garros? 

Only three different players have beaten Nadal at the French Open during his career.

Novak Djokovic has twice got the better of Nadal on the clay of Roland-Garros, although that’s perhaps unsurprising given the fact the Serbian has been ranked as the world’s number-one male tennis player for over 400 weeks across his career.

Djokovic beat Nadal in straight sets in the quarterfinals but was denied a first trophy in Paris when he lost to Stan Wawrinka in the final in 2015. The Serbian was victorious again when they met in the semifinals in 2021.

Sweden’s Robin Soderling also shocked the Spaniard back in the fourth round in 2009 to deny Nadal a fifth-straight French Open title at the time. Roger Federer would go on to win his first and only Roland-Garros title that year.

“I already had tears in my eyes…”@rogerfederer takes us back to the moment he captured the 2009 Roland-Garros title. #RG19 pic.twitter.com/HR0PwPA9YO

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 27, 2019

In 2024, Nadal was beaten in the first round in Paris in straight sets by Alexander Zverev, the Spaniard having been struggling for playing time due to persistent injury issues.

The only other time Nadal entered the French Open and failed to win was in 2016, when he was forced to withdraw from the tournament due to a wrist injury before his third-round matchup. Djokovic finally got his hands on the trophy that year, beating Andy Murray in the final.

Robin Soderling: Fourth round, 2009

On the face of it, this might seem like a huge upset in the context of the French Open as the towering Swede bested Nadal in an enthralling five-set fight. 

In reality, with rumours circulating that the Majorcan native was struggling with injury throughout the tournament and given Soderling’s fantastic form that year that saw him reach the final at Roland-Garros, Nadal’s loss in the fourth round wasn’t as seismic as some people might assume at first glance. 

That said, this loss did prove to be Nadal’s first defeat at the French Open after winning his 31 consecutive matches prior, whilst it was also his first five-set loss on clay throughout his career. 

His response to the defeat was to win each of the next five titles in Paris, a run lasting from 2010 to 2014. 

Novak Djokovic: Quarterfinal, 2015

Nadal’s next defeat came in 2015 to Djokovic who, unlike Soderling before, was favoured greatly for his clash with the Spaniard that year. 

A straight-sets victory for Djokovic really outlined his rise to dominance in the men’s game. Although he would lose the final to Wawrinka, Djokovic got his hands on the trophy a year later.

2016, The @DjokerNole coronation.

Round 7: At last pic.twitter.com/HBsBkIdQfa

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 16, 2017

Before the 2015 tournament, Nadal had also revealed in an interview with Spanish outlet El Mundo that he was struggling with anxiety due to several injuries suffered prior to his appearance at Roland-Garros, which likely accounted for a rather uncompetitive match.

Novak Djokovic: Semifinal, 2021

After four more impressive French Open victories between 2017 and 2020, Nadal would again fall to Djokovic, this time at the semifinal stage last year. 

Despite besting the Serb 6-3 in the opening set, Djokovic would roar back to claim the next three en route to the second French Open title of his career. 

The COVID-19 pandemic saw reduced crowds in attendance who had to leave court Philippe-Chatrier early to abide with protocols in place across France at the time. However, as this match dragged on, president Emmanuel Macron personally called the venue to allow supporters to stay later to watch Djokovic eventually lift the trophy as he became the first male player in the Open Era to win all four majors at least twice.

Alexander Zverev: First round, 2024

Zverev and Nadal were locked in a gripping semifinal in 2022 when the German fell and suffered a serious ankle injury, granting Nadal passage to the final.

They met again in the first round in 2024, with Zverev winning comfortably in three sets in what proved to be his opponent’s last French Open match. He departed the court to a standing ovation after a 6-3 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 loss.

Rafael Nadal’s full French Open record