Expert Picks: Twelve of our favorite Rafael Nadal matches

We typically save "Expert Picks" for tournament previews, but today we're making an exception. And this excercise was even more difficult than breaking down a bracket.

With Rafael Nadal's retirement from tennis on Tuesday, it's only natural to look back at his profilic career. What's your favorite Rafa match? Our hard-to-make choices are below.

Emma Storey, TENNIS.com/de

2008 Wimbledon final: d. Roger Federer, 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-7 (8), 9-7

I know it’s cliché, but this isn’t just my favorite Rafa match, it’s actually still my favorite tennis match of all time. I have never been so captivated by every twist and turn of a match in the way I was by this one. The breathtaking shotmaking, the dramatic momentum shifts, the rapidly descending gloom, the iconic ending: it truly encapsulated everything that I love not just about Rafa, but about the sport of tennis itself.

Stephanie Livaudais, TENNIS.com

2009 Australian Open final: d. Roger Federer 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (3), 3-6, 6-2

As a teenager watching it live from the East Coast, I remember having to talk my parents into letting me be late for class so I could catch the final set and trophy ceremony. Looking back on the match now, it’s a favorite not just because of that memory or the ridiculous shotmaking throughout all five sets. What stands out most is the moment Nadal comforted a teary-eyed Federer afterward, a glimpse of the human side of their epic rivalry.

Julia Valls-Lopez, TENNIS.com/de

2022 Australian Open final: d. Daniil Medvedev, 2-6, 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-4, 7-5

This is my favorite Rafa match because it showed his incredible resilience. After losing the first two sets to, the match seemed out of reach, but Rafa fought back, winning an unforgettable five-set battle. As a college tennis player at the time, I found it inspiring to witness his determination. It reminded me that no matter the challenge, giving your all can lead to greatness. Rafa’s performance perfectly reflects the legacy he’s leaving behind—a true fighter who never gives up.

Oliver Dressler, TENNIS.com/de

2005 Roland Garros final: d. Mariano Puerta, 6-7 (6), 6-3, 6-1, 6-5

I remember watching it with my grandparents, both die-hard tennis fans and in their designated armchairs across their living room, cheering on this young hot shot from Spain with the “atrocious outfit” (grandma) and “inconvenient hairstyle” (grandpa). I wish they could’ve seen the many more titles that where yet to come for him and his pirate pants.

Steve Tignor, TENNIS.com

2016 Rome quarterfinals, loses to Novak Djokovic, 7-5, 7-6 (4)

It wasn't a final. It wasn't a semifinal. And it was only two sets. But if there have been two more intensely fought and athletically dazzling sets of tennis anywhere, I haven't seen them. My favorite Nadal match was more about the heights that he and his second great rival, Djokovic, could push each other to. In front of a raucous Rome crowd, they went full-throttle on every swing, and every sprint. Djokovic, who was at his peak, prevailed, but Nadal, who had chances in both sets, could still call it “a beautiful match” afterward.

David Kane, TENNIS.com

2011 Roland Garros first round, d. John Isner, 6-4, 6-7 (2), 6-7 (2), 6-2, 6-4

Nadal only played three five-setters at Roland Garros. The first came in 2011 against an inspired Isner, who took a two-sets-to-one lead after winning a pair of tiebreakers. After losing two clay-court finals to a then-undefeated Novak Djokovic, a first-round loss would have marked a seismic shift in the tennis landscape. Instead, Rafa wouldn’t lose another set before the final and ultimately take home his sixth Roland Garros title. While his performance in finals made him great, it was Nadal’s ability to win uncomfortable early rounds like this that made him one of the best ever.

Franziska Bruells, TENNIS.com/de

2022 Roland Garros semifinal, d. Alexander Zverev, 7-6 (8), 6-6 (retired)

Even though the match didn't end well, every tennis fan was treated to some top-class tennis over more than three hours. As always, Nadal showed his fighter's heart and went on to win the last Grand Slam tournament of his career, where he was more successful than anywhere else. The special thing: Shortly before the start of the tournament, many doubted whether Nadal would even be fit enough to play in Paris. But he convinced the whole tennis world of the opposite.

Joel Drucker, TENNIS.com

2013 Roland Garros semifinal, d. Novak Djokovic, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 6-7 (3), 9-7

While it was compelling to watch Nadal compete anywhere, to see him at work in the arena of Court Philippe-Chatrier was extraordinary. At the late stage of this epic semifinal, I worked inside the Tennis Channel broadcast booth, alongside commentators Brett Haber and Justin Gimelstob. From a spectacular vantage point, I witnessed two of the greatest competitors in tennis history, immersed in one rigorous rally after another. After four hours and 37 minutes, Nadal emerged the victor, 9-7 in the fifth.

Peter Bodo, TENNIS.com

2013 US Open final, d. Novak Djokovic, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1

When Nadal met Djokovic in the 2013 US Open final, the Serbian star was on a roll—hhe had played the final in nine of the 12 previous majors, with five wins in three different events. Over that period Nadal had won just one major title on a surface other than clay. Although Nadal's win wasn't a classic battle, it was an inspired performance by a severe underdog, halting the Djokovic juggernaut. Afterward, even Nadal admitted he was unsure how he pulled it off.

Jon Levey, TENNIS.com

2009 Australian Open semifinal, d. Fernando Verdasco, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (2), 6-7 (1), 6-4.

There was no title on the line, and the opponent not one of his all-time rivals, but this Aussie semifinal encapsulated Nadal’s trademark resilience as much as any match. Verdasco was on an absolute heater throughout the tournament, cracking the ball better than at any point in his career. His level would’ve been enough against anyone not named Nadal. Rafa repelled Verdasco’s firepower over five sets that took more than five hours. What’s more, Nadal dusted himself off and did the same thing to Roger Federer in the final.

Matt Fitzgerald, TENNIS.com

2018 US Open quarterfinal, d. Dominic Thiem, 0-6, 6-4, 7-5, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (5)

For the man who ‘learned to enjoy suffering’ on the court, this nearly five-hour match had all of it. He was blitzed 6-0 in the opening set by a younger opponent brimming with talent. The two played through drenched clothes resulting from a combination of humid conditions—and the war that unfolded as they traded punishing blows. The Austrian would win an 81-minute fourth set to force a decider, but Rafa came up clutch when the two ran it back to play out another tiebreaker. The clock struck 2:04 a.m. when a tired Thiem mistimed an overhead to end a true ‘epic’ that far surpassed the expectations of primetime at the Open.

Ed McGrogan, TENNIS.com

2011 Davis Cup final, d. Juan Martin del Potro, 1-6, 6-4, 6-1, 7-6 (0)

I’ve been fortunate enough to see Rafa win Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open in person, but this December battle in Seville remains my favorite in-person watch. The atmosphere was unlike any Grand Slam final, with two ultra-passionate fanbases giving the match a prize-fight atmosphere. It was fittingly held inside a soccer (and Olympic) stadium. The players responded with brutally brilliant play. Del Potro’s size and shotmaking helped land an early punch, but Nadal, in the midst of a down year, responded with vintage form. The fourth set was tense—until the tiebreaker, when Rafa and the majority of the 23,000 fans exploded in victory.