Rafael Nadal’s impressive consecutive set streak at the French Open has come to an end. Nevertheless, his quest for an unprecedented 21st Grand Slam title, with 14 of them earned at Roland Garros, is still very much alive.
Nadal, unfazed by losing a set in Paris for the first time in two years, rebounded emphatically on Wednesday. He unleashed powerful forehands, accompanied by triumphant fist pumps and spirited cries of “Vamos!” on his way to a 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 victory over the 10th-seeded Diego Schwartzman, securing a spot in the semifinals of the prestigious clay-court tournament.
After securing the last nine games against Schwartzman, the No. 3 seed Nadal is set to face either No. 1 Novak Djokovic or No. 9 Matteo Berrettini in Friday’s semifinals. This potential matchup with Djokovic would mark a rematch of last year’s final and their 58th meeting overall. The Djokovic-Berrettini quarterfinal was slated for Wednesday night.
The other men’s semifinal will feature a clash between No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas and No. 6 Alexander Zverev.
Nadal, who celebrated his 35th birthday last week, boasts an impressive record of 105-2 for his career at Roland Garros. Just two wins away from surpassing the men’s record for the most Grand Slam singles championships, a record currently shared with Roger Federer.
Alongside his 13 titles at Roland Garros, spanning from 2005-08, 2010-14, and 2017 to the present, the Spanish left-hander has clinched four titles at the U.S. Open, two at Wimbledon, and one at the Australian Open.
On the women’s side, the semifinals feature four first-time Grand Slam semifinalists, a rarity not seen since the 1978 Australian Open. In the quarterfinals, No. 17 seed Maria Sakkari halted Iga Swiatek’s title defense with a convincing 6-4, 6-4 win, while unseeded Barbora Krejcikova ended the run of 17-year-old Coco Gauff with a 7-6 (6), 6-3 victory. Sakkari and Krejcikova will face off on Thursday, along with the No. 31 seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova against unseeded Tamara Zidansek in the other semifinal.
Nadal entered the quarterfinal with a remarkable 35-set run at Roland Garros, stretching back to the 2019 final. Although Schwartzman interrupted the streak, Nadal quickly asserted his dominance, winning crucial games to secure the victory. Schwartzman, now 1-11 against Nadal, voiced frustration and bounced his racket off the clay as Nadal powered through to the semifinals.