Since the start of the Open era, only 12 players have reached 15 Major semi-finals. Rafael Nadal is third on the list behind Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic with 35, standing strong for 17 seasons since playing the first one at Roland Garros 2005!
The Spaniard claimed the first Major title on debut in Paris 16 years ago, earning tennis glory a couple of days after turning 19.
Outside two loose seasons due to injuries, Nadal has been a regular competitor in the latter stages at Majors, playing on a high level one season after another and securing 15 different with at least one Major final!
Achieving that feat in 15 of the previous 17 years, Nadal became only the third player on that list after Roger Federer and Andre Agassi. Federer has played in one Major semi-final in 18 different seasons, followed by Nadal and Agassi, who stand on 15.
Rafa’s beloved Major has helped him greatly on that task, as the Spaniard played in 14 semi-finals in Paris. Nadal kicked off his 17th Roland Garros campaign with a 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 triumph over Alexei Popyrin, playing well in the opening two sets before falling 5-2 behind in the third.
