By Tennis Week
06/03/2025
Rafael Nadal could see the finish line as clearly as the baseline beneath his feet when he heard Roger rumbling throughout Chatrier Stadium. Standing to serve three points removed from securing a spot in the Roland Garros final, Nadal paused to hear the crowd chanting a chorus of "Roger! Roger!" in an effort to collectively will world No. 1 Roger Federer to a fifth set. But on this day it was Nadal who would have the final word.
Hurling himself into his shots with the ferocity of a fighter, Nadal celebrated his 19th birthday in sensational style toppling the top-seeded Federer, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 to advance to Sunday's Roland Garros final. When Federer's final forehand sailed beyond the baseline on the 18th stroke of the last rally a joyous Nadal fell flat on his back and stared up at the sky in triumph.
Extending his winning streak to 23 matches, Nadal is the youngest Roland Garros finalist since a 17-year-old Michael Chang captured the title in 1989.
The fourth-seeded Spaniard arose from the court cloaked in streaks of red clay that served as a fitting birthday suit for the man who stalks the terre battue as it was his birth right to wear the crown of clay-court king.
It was a birthday celebration that felt more like a clay-court coronation as Nadal enters the final against unseeded Mariano Puerta as an overwhelming favorite to become the first man since Mats Wilander in 1982 to win Roland Garros in his debut.
The 37th-ranked Argentine rallied from a 2-4 deficit in the final set to reel off four straight games and defeated a depleted Nikolay Davydenko 6-3, 5-7, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4. Puerta joins 2003 finalist Martin Verkerk and 2004 champion Gaston Gaudio as the third unseeded man to reach the final in as many years. The achievement astonished the Argentine, who had never surpassed the third round in his 15 prior appearances in Grand Slam tournaments.
"Is amazing. I can't believe this. This moment is just � it's amazing," Puerta said. "I can't believe this. I'm in paradise. I'm the happiest man on earth right now."
It marks the first time in Roland Garros history two lefthanders will play for the men's singles championship. The last time lefties squared off in a Grand Slam final was in 1998 when Petr Korda defeated Marcelo Rios, 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 to take the Australian Open title. Thomas Muster was the last lefthander to lift the Roland Garros title trophy in 1995.
Firing his forehand with accuracy and ambition, Nadal left Federer flat-footed and unsettled in the first set. Attempting to battle Nadal from the baseline, Federer found himself forced to dig out of a dirt deficit as he dropped serve four times in the opening set to surrender a set for the first time in the tournament. The opening-set loss snapped Federer's win streak of 28 straight sets and produced a look of concern across Federer's face.
Bidding to become the sixth man in history to claim all four Grand Slam titles, Federer was well aware his own history in majors often followed the first-set trend: he entered the match with a 64-3 record in majors when he won the first set, and a 7-16 mark when he lost the first set.
Altering his tactics in the second set, Federer attacked the net more often and used the drop shot to exploit Nadal's deep position beyond the baseline. Federer lost just three points in building a 5-1 lead before Nadal closed to 4-5. In the 10th game, Federer punctuated a forehand volley winner with a "come on!" then collected the second set when Nadal netted a backhand.
A fearless, physical force who possesses both speed and power, Nadal effectively attacked Federer's one-handed backhand with shoulder-high topspin shots that tied Federer up as if he as trying to shrug a shot-put off his shoulders. When the two-time Wimbledon winner began to move over to his backhand side in an effort to run around his backhand, Nadal lashed inside-out forehands to the corner that forced Federer into a sprinting pursuit to chase down.
The pair, who had split their two prior meetings on hard court in Miami, traded breaks in the sixth and seventh games of the third set. When Federer sliced a backhand deep, Nadal earned his third set point in the 10th game. Pouncing on a short serve, Nadal opened the court with a stinging shot in the corner, came forward and crunched a swing volley winner down the line then leaped in the air and hurled a heart-felt uppercut to punctuate a two sets to one lead.
Federer's forehand failed him on crucial points in the fourth set. Respecting Nadal's speed, Federer tried to flatten out his forehand and approach behind it, but often found the top of the net.
The four-time Grand Slam champion was up a break at 3-2 in the fourth set and held a game point when a fan yelled out during his service motion and a distracted Federer double faulted. Two points later, Federer netted a forehand down the line to face break point for the second time. He followed with another forehand into the net as Nadal broke for 3-3.
In the eighth game, Federer found himself at net facing rapid-fire shots from Nadal and responded with three successive stunning stab volleys that elicited an extended ovation from the crowd. It would prove to be Federer's final moment of success. When he missed a backhand well wide Federer threw back his head and screamed in frustration as Nadal broke for a 5-3 lead.
Biceps bursting from his sleeveless shirt, the vein in Nadal's left biceps was visible as he smacked an inside out forehand winner and followed with an emphatic overhead to reach match point. Federer, who swept three of the four major last year, bowed out to a birthday celebrant for the second consecutive Slam. Federer fell to Marat Safin in a thrilling five-set Australian Open semifinal on Safin's 25th birthday.
Nadal, who raised his record to 47-6 on the season, including a 27-2 mark on clay, waved to the crowd as he walked off wearing remnants of the red clay he has come to own during this French fortnight.
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