Something unexpected happened to Rafael Nadal after winning his maiden Grand Slam title at the 2005 French Open.
Nadal was only 19 years old when he lifted the French Open trophy on the Paris dirt, defeating Mariano Puerta 6-7 6-3 6-1 7-5.
Nadal, who defeated his great rival Roger Federer on the way to the title, became the first man to win the French Open on his debut since Mats Wilander’s triumph in 1982.
Nadal would go on to lift another 13 French Open titles, cementing his place in history as the greatest clay court player of all time.
Nadal’s victory in 2005 marked his first Grand Slam triumph, and after the match, something else happened for the first time.
Nadal cried after a match for the first time after winning the 2005 French Open
Nadal’s capture of the 2005 French Open title was certainly a momentous moment for the 19-year-old.
Therefore, it may come as little surprise to read that Nadal cried after the match – the first time this had happened in his life.
As per the Roland Garros website, Nadal said: “It’s a dream come true to win on my first appearance here.
“These moments are very strong and when you reach your goal, it’s an extraordinary moment. For the first time, I cried after winning a match. It has never happened to me before.”
Nadal won the title again in 2006, 2007 and 2008, before winning five straight from 2010 to 2014. He would later capture a further four French Open titles consecutively, between 2017 and 2020.
His last title at the tournament came in 2022, where he defeated Casper Ruud in the final.
Nadal lost to three players at the French Open
Across a career that spanned nearly 20 years, Rafael Nadal only lost four times at the French Open, to three opponents.
The most famous loss came in 2009, when Nadal seemed almost unbeatable on the clay. In the fourth round, Swedish star Robin Soderling stunned the Spaniard in straight sets, before later losing in the final to Roger Federer.
The next man to defeat Nadal was Novak Djokovic, who defeated the Spaniard in Paris in 2015 and 2021.
Nadal’s final loss came at the hands of current world number three Alexander Zverev at the 2024 French Open.
Nadal finished his glittering French Open career with a remarkable record of 112 matches won and four matches lost.
