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Decoding Roger Federer and his performances over the years in the French Open
Roger Federer is the epitome of elegance and grace. His exquisite shotmaking and fantastic footwork have entertained tennis for the last 23 years.
Federer has dominated on the pristine grass at Wimbledon with 8 titles. The Swiss mastered the hardcourts of Melbourne with 6 titles at the Australian Open. He ruled the roost in New York with 5 US Open titles from 2004 to 2008.
However, Federer won the French Open only once (2009) in his career. The Swiss superstar reached the finals at Roland Garros 4 times (2006 to 2008 and 2011). One player denied him a shot at the title 4 times, it was the King of Clay, Rafael Nadal.
Ahead of the Swiss maestro's comeback at the French Open 2021 where he will face Denis Istomin in the first round, SportCo analyzes the win-loss record of Federer on clay.
| Year | Win-Loss record on Clay | Result in the French Open |
| 1999 | 0-1 | Lost in the 1st round to Patrick Rafter |
| 2000 | 0-5 | Alex Corretja beat him in the 4th round in straight sets |
| 2001 | 5-3 | Alex Corretja beat him in the Q-F in straight sets |
| 2002 | 7-2 | Hicham Arazi defeated him in the 1st round in straight sets |
| 2003 | 12-2 | Lost in the 1st round to Luis Horna in straight sets |
| 2004 | 7-1 | Gustavo Kuerten beat the top-seeded Federer in the third round in 3 sets. |
| 2005 | 9-1 | 4th seeded Nadal beat top seed Roger in the semis in 4 sets. |
| 2006 | 10-2 | 2nd seed Nadal defeated top seed Federer in the finals in 4 sets |
| 2007 | 10-2 | 2nd seed Nadal beats Roger again in the finals in 4 sets |
| 2008 | 15-3 | Nadal routed the top seed Federer in 3 sets in the finals. |
| 2009 | 9-2 | Federer wins his first French Open with a 3-set victory over Robin Soderling in the finals |
| 2010 | 6-3 | 5th seed Soderling stunned the Swiss star in 4 sets in the quarters |
| 2011 | 6-3 | Top seed Nadal once again beat Federer in 4 sets in the finals |
| 2012 | 8-1 | Top seed Novak Djokovic overcame Federer in straight sets in the semifinals of the French Open |
| 2013 | 5-2 | 6th seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga outhit Federer in 3 sets in the Q-Fs of the French Open 2013 |
| 2014 | 4-2 | 18th seed Ernests Gulbis shocked Federer in 5 sets in the 4th round |
| 2015 | 9-3 | 8th seed Stan Wawrinka beat his compatriot Federer in straight sets in the Q-Fs of French Open 2015 |
| 2016 | 3-2 | Did not play at Roland Garros due to a back injury |
| 2017 | 0-0 | Skipped the entire clay-court season to prepare for Wimbledon |
| 2018 | 0-0 | Federer again missed the entire clay-court season to prepare for Wimbledon |
| 2019 | 4-2 | Lost to the defending champion Nadal in straight sets in the S-Fs |
| 2020 | 0-0 | Did not play the French Open due to a right knee surgery |
| 2021 | 0-1 | Will play Denis Istomin in the first round |
Analysis of Federer’s run in the French Open in his career:
- Roger Federer peaked at Paris from 2006 to 2009 reaching four finals in a row.
- He had a great chance to win the French Open from 2006 to 2008. However, the Swiss could not handle Nadal’s relentless defense and topspin heavy forehand.
- 2009 was a special year for Federer as he clinched his first-and-only French Open title.
- With his archrival Rafael Nadal beaten by Soderling in 4 sets in the fourth round, Federer used the golden opportunity.
- The Swiss star edged past the fifth seed Juan Martin del Potro in five sets in the semis.
- Roger Federer played his A-game in the finals with a straight-set win against the dangerous Soderling.
- The Swiss legend suffered upsets against Soderling in 2010, Tsonga in 2013, and Gulbis in 2014.
- Fans of Roger Federer missed him at the French Open from 2016 to 2018 as he gave more preference to his body and did not want to get injured ahead of Wimbledon.
- He made a strong comeback in 2019 and defeated Next-Gen players like Lorenzo Sonego and Casper Ruud in straight sets followed by a four-set victory against countryman Wawrinka in the quarters.
- But who could deny Federer the crown at the French Open except for one man? Nadal once again brushed past the third seed Roger in straight sets in the French Open 2019 semifinals.
- After losing to Djokovic in the Australian Open semifinals in 2020, Federer missed the entire season due to two arthroscopic surgeries on his right knee.
How far can Roger Federer go in the French Open 2021?
| Stage of the Tournament | Player Name | Head to Head Record | Expectations |
| First Round | Denis Istomin | 7-0 | The Swiss can be sluggish playing his first match on clay against the qualifier Istomin. |
| Second Round | Marin Cilic | 9-1 | Cilic’s big serve and powerful forehand can unsettle Federer. |
| Third Round | Taylor Fritz | 2-0 | Fritz will aim to play aggressively while Federer will thwart him with his one-handed backhand. |
| Fourth Round | Matteo Berrettini | 2-0 | Berrettini is in better form having won a title in Belgrade. Can go to 4 sets with close tiebreakers. |
| Quarterfinals | Novak Djokovic | 23-27 overall and 4-4 on clay | Classic encounter, Djokovic’s superior form will help him win in a tight 5-setter. |
| Semifinals | Rafael Nadal | 16-24 overall and 0-6 in the French Open | If Federer manages to win against Novak, he may not have enough gas to battle Rafa and his losing streak vs Nadal here may continue. |
| Finals | Stefanos Tsitsipas/ Dominic Thiem | 2-2 and 2-5 | Tsitsipas has a 16-3 win-loss record on clay in 2021 and Thiem has never lost to Federer on clay. The Next-Gen duo will outlast Federer. |
The 39-year old Federer himself admitted he is unlikely to win the French Open. The Swiss legend has been at ease in the practice sessions against Aslan Karatsev, David Goffin, and Mackenzie McDonald.
Scintillating stats about Federer’s record on clay
| Player Name | Roger Federer |
| Q-Fs at the French Open | 11 out of the past 12 times |
| S-Fs at the French Open | 8 times (Win-Loss record is 5-3) |
| Total wins in Roland Garros | 70 |
| Total clay-court titles | 11 |
| Winning % on Clay | 75.9% |
% of Points won on the First Serve in last 1 year | 77.2% |
% of Tiebreaks won in last year | 80% |
“I feel like in practice I have been playing better, but then again as we know, matches are a different animal,” said Federer indicating the big challenge ahead with a tough draw in the French Open 2021.
So dear fans, how deep will Roger Federer go at the French Open 2021? Let us know in the comments below.
Featured Image Credits - Getty Images
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