Rafael Nadal winning French Open 14 times is bigger than any other record in tennis, says Boris Becker
Boris Becker lavished praise on Rafael Nadal's unparalleled achievement at the Roland Garros. The Spaniard is drawn to face a tough opponent in Alexander Zverev in the tournament's first round on Monday, May 27.
Rafael Nadal has dominated the Parisian clay since winning his first French Open in 2005. The 37-year-old has lost only three out of 115 matches at Roland Garros, maintaining an astonishing 97.4 percent win rate. And not to forget, he has won the clay court slam a record 14 times in his career, earning him the nickname of 'King of Clay'.
Nadal's clay court achievement is remarkable according to tennis legend, Boris Becker. Speaking to CNN recently, Becker claimed that winning the Roland Garros ten times seems almost impossible, yet, Nadal's astounding record of 14 titles at Roland Garros stands unmatched in any sport.
“You win it five times, that’s a lot, you win it 10 times, it’s impossible. Nadal’s won it 14 times. I don’t know any other record in any other sport that equals that,” Becker said.
Nadal's superior footwork and agility enable him to slide efficiently on the clay surface, allowing him to reach and return shots that many players would otherwise fail to make.
It is speculated that 2024 will be Nadal's final season. He was away from the sport due to a hip injury and spent the majority of the previous year recovering. Although he made a return this year, he couldn't make an impact due to a muscle tear he suffered in Brisbane.
Boris Becker was surprised when he saw Rafael Nadal's 1R draw at French Open
Boris Becker was surprised when he saw that Rafael Nadal would face Alexander Zverev in the first round of the tournament. He thought there had been a mistake, as he was accustomed to seeing Nadal seeded first or second at Roland Garros owing to his dominance on clay. In an exclusive with Eurosport, Becker said:
"In the beginning, I didn't believe it and thought that someone had made a mistake. Only then did I realize that Nadal wasn't seeded this year. So it was logical. But at first I actually thought that they were both seeded - because you're just used to Rafa being seeded first or second in Paris."
Rafael Nadal holds a commanding 7-3 lead over Alexander Zverev in their head-to-head matchups. Their most recent encounter was in the 2022 French Open quarterfinals, where Nadal emerged victorious.
However, with Nadal exiting in the second round of both the Barcelona and Rome and Zverev coming off an Italian Open triumph, Zverev might have the upper hand this time.