With Rafa Nadal into an incredible 14th Roland Garros semi-final, here’s a look at his headline moments on the way to the final four.
5. A Roland Garros centurion three times over
In the first round, the ‘King of Clay’ came up against Australian youngster Alexei Popyrin in his 103rd career match at the Paris Slam.
By taking the first set 6-3, Nadal secured his 300th set at the French Open, going on to claim his 101st win in the tournament over the past 17 years.
4. A birthday victory and record to boot
Rafael Nadal took to the clay under the lights in his first ever Roland Garros ‘night session’ against career foe Richard Gasquet, their 17th meeting in all, and on his 35th birthday no less!
Nadal dispatched the Frenchman in straight sets, equalling the ATP record for the most one-sided head-to-head along with Djokovic and Federer, reaching a 17-0 win-loss record against Gasquet.
