Top Three Matches in French Open History

French Open: Rafael Nadal vs Novak Jokovic

One of the four main tennis competitions that take place each year is the Roland Garros French Open. Unlike the cushioned acrylic hard courts at the Australian Open and the US Open and the grass court at Wimbledon, this highly regarded championship is played on a clay court. Tennis greats and experts from all over the world agree that playing on clay courts is the hardest, making the French Open the most relevant and vital competition.

Male competitors compete in five-set bouts while female competitors compete in three-set matches in this knockout tournament. The games are incredibly fascinating and thrilling, and there is a large amount of competition. The top three matches in the history of the tournament are listed below.

Also read: History of the Phillippe Chatrier Court, How it was Named after Legendary Tennis Player

1. Rafael Nadal vs Novak Djokovic (2013 semi-final)

Tennis fans will never forget the 277 minutes of the thrilling semi-final. With a narrow 6-4 lead, the Spaniard quickly pulled away. After making a great comeback, Djokovic easily won the second set, 6-3. In the third set, Rafa dominated the Serb 6-1 with his strong forehand topspin. In the fourth set, the two tennis masters faced each other like solid brick walls. While, in the fifth set, Novak gained the upper hand once more with a 4-2 advantage. But Djokovic’s return skills were thwarted by Rafa’s strong defense. The Serbian legend yelled at the slick red dirt, missed a couple of smashes, and lost his cool when he mishandled the ball at the net and all this was enough for Rafa to take the match away from Djokovic.

2. Stan Wawrinka vs Novak Djokovic (2015 Final)

Before their fantastic final, Djokovic had a 17-3 advantage over Wawrinka in their head-to-head matchups. Wawrinka won the second set with a score of 6-4 after Djokovic grabbed the first set with a lead of 6-4. The one-handed backhand performed flawlessly in the third set as Stan advanced with a 6-3 victory. The drama was not lacking in the fourth set as Djokovic blew a commanding 3-0 lead. At 5-4 (40-30), Wawrinka secured a championship point but it was ruled out by the chair umpire as Djokovic managed to break Wawrinka’s serve. But Wawrinka ultimately prevailed as the Swiss held firm and scored three straight points to secure the victory and his second grand slam title.

3. Rafael Nadal vs John Isner (2011 First Round)

On the ATP Tour, American players are not well renowned for their accomplishments on clay courts. However, in the 2011 French Open, John Isner seriously worried Rafael Nadal. In a closely contested opening set, the Spaniard took the victory with a score of 6-4. Isner’s outstanding tennis against the King of Clay when he won the second and third sets by identical scores of 7-6(2) astounded the fans. As the American unleashed his returns recklessly in the tiebreaks, Nadal’s point construction technique failed. The Spaniard, who is not one to cower under duress, battled back to win the fourth set 6-2 without committing any unforced errors as John Isner’s performance faltered. Once more, the fifth set was close, but Rafa’s perseverance got him through, and he won it 6-4.