Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal enjoyed a legendary rivalry that defined an era of tennis.
Sharing 42 Grand Slam titles between them, Federer and Nadal competed at the very top of the ATP Tour for the best part of 20 years.
The pair contested nine Major finals, of which Nadal won six, only suffering defeat at Wimbledon (2006, 2007) and at the Australian Open (2017).
Federer and Nadal produced several classics over the years that will be forever etched into the memories of those who watched them live.
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Nadal’s win over Federer in the 2008 Wimbledon final is considered by many as the ‘greatest match ever played’.
A match played two years earlier, however, was just as entertaining, as the legendary stars battled it out for the Italian Open title.
Rafael Nadal beat Roger Federer in an ‘incredible’ five-hour Italian Open final 19 years ago
Nadal and Federer had played one another five times before the 2006 Italian Open, with the Spaniard dominating the early proceedings of their rivalry.
Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer’s head-to-head record pre-2006 Italian Open
Fresh off the back of titles in Barcelona and Monte-Carlo, Nadal looked in great shape to win the title in Rome, navigating a tricky first-round tie against Carlos Moya before powering his way through to the final.
Rafael Nadal’s route to the 2006 Italian Open final
- 2006 Italian Open SF – Rafael Nadal beat Gael Monfils, 6-2, 6-2
- 2006 Italian Open QF – Rafael Nadal beat Fernando Gonzalez, 6-4, 6-3
- 2006 Italian Open 3R – Rafael Nadal beat Tim Henman, 6-2, 6-2
- 2006 Italian Open 2R – Rafael Nadal beat Filippo Volandri, 6-1, 6-2
- 2006 Italian Open 1R – Rafael Nadal beat Carlos Moya, 6-1, 2-6, 6-2
Nadal’s rival, Federer, had a tougher time of things en route to the final, battling through back-to-back three-setters to set up a sixth career meeting with the Spaniard.
Roger Federer’s route to the 2006 Italian Open final
- 2006 Italian Open SF – Roger Federer beat David Nalbandian, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6
- 2006 Italian Open QF – Roger Federer beat Nicolas Almagro, 6-3, 6-7, 7-5
- 2006 Italian Open 3R – Roger Federer beat Radek Stepanek, 6-1, 6-4
- 2006 Italian Open 2R – Roger Federer beat Potito Starace, 6-3, 7-6
- 2006 Italian Open 1R – Roger Federer beat Juan Ignacio Chela, 6-2, 6-1
The final was full of quality right from the off, as the pair fought hard in the first set, before Federer played a perfect tiebreaker to take the lead 7-6 [7-0].
Federer carried that momentum through to the second, and looked ready to extend his advantage, until Nadal clawed his way back, taking the set 7-6 [7-5].
Taking his game into another gear, Nadal broke at 2-2 in the third, holding onto the one break advantage to win the set, 6-4.
Federer bounced back in the fourth, racing through the set, 6-2, to send the tie into a decider.
Looking to wrap up just his second career win over Nadal, Federer led 4-1 in the fifth before his opponent bravely fought back to 4-4.
At 5-6, Federer had a look at two match points on Nadal’s serve but couldn’t take advantage of either as his forehand deserted him in the crucial moments.
Federer looked to have the match won again at 5-3 in the fifth set tiebreaker but was unable to get over the line, with Nadal coming back to win 6-7, 7-6, 6-4, 2-6, 7-6.
After five hours of thrilling action, it was Nadal who lifted the trophy, beating Federer in one of the greatest clay-court matches the sport has ever seen.
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Nadal’s win in Rome was his 53rd consecutive victory on clay, tying Guillermo Vilas’ seemingly unbreakable record.
During an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport ahead of the 2025 Italian Open, Nadal reflected on his legendary win over Federer.
“In Rome, I experienced emotional moments, the first two finals were incredible,” said Nadal.
“With [Guillermo] Coria in 2005 I was losing 3-0 and 40-15 in the fifth and I won 7-6 in the longest final of the tournament, and the following year with Roger [Federer], again in the fifth down 4-1, two match points against, and again 7-6 after five hours and seven minutes.
“So many unforgettable moments.”
Did Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer ever play another match at the Italian Open?
Nadal and Federer played just one more match against each other in Rome, when they returned to the final seven years later.
Their second meeting in the Italian capital couldn’t quite live up to the standards set by their first, as Nadal dominated Federer in straight sets, 6-1, 6-3, to win his seventh title in Rome.
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Nadal won three more titles in Rome, retiring from tennis in 2024 as a record ten-time champion.
Only time will tell who will come out on top at the 2025 Italian Open, but it’ll certainly be interesting to see who lifts the title at Stadio Centrale on Sunday, May 18.