Last Updated: August 2026
Few records in tennis are as extraordinary as Rafael Nadal’s dominance at the French Open.
Roland-Garros is the only Grand Slam tournament played on clay, a surface that demands exceptional movement, patience, endurance, defense and point construction.
And for nearly two decades, one player dominated the Paris clay unlike anyone before him.
So who has won the most French Open titles?
Rafael Nadal holds the men’s singles record with an extraordinary 14 Roland-Garros championships.
On the women’s side, Chris Evert holds the record with seven singles titles.
Nadal’s record is particularly remarkable because he won 14 championships in only 18 appearances at Roland-Garros.
His dominance in Paris became one of the strongest arguments for his place among the greatest tennis players of all time.
But Nadal and Evert are only part of the story.
Björn Borg dominated Roland-Garros before Nadal.
Steffi Graf won six women’s championships.
Novak Djokovic became one of the few men capable of repeatedly challenging Nadal on Parisian clay.
Roger Federer finally completed his Career Grand Slam there in 2009.
Carlos Alcaraz won consecutive titles in 2024 and 2025.
And in 2026, Alexander Zverev finally captured his first Grand Slam championship at Roland-Garros.
Let’s examine the complete record book.
Who Has Won the Most French Open Titles? Quick Answer
The record holders are:
Men’s singles: Rafael Nadal — 14 titles
Women’s singles: Chris Evert — 7 titles
Among the leading men’s champions of the Open Era:
| Rank | Player | Roland-Garros Titles |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rafael Nadal | 14 |
| 2 | Björn Borg | 6 |
| 3 | Novak Djokovic | 3 |
| T-4 | Mats Wilander | 3 |
| T-4 | Gustavo Kuerten | 3 |
| T-6 | Carlos Alcaraz | 2 |
| T-6 | Ivan Lendl | 3 |
The most important number is:
14.
No man has won another Grand Slam tournament as many times as Nadal won Roland-Garros.
Rafael Nadal — 14 French Open Titles
The King of Clay
Rafael Nadal won Roland-Garros 14 times.
His championships came in:
2005
2006
2007
2008
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2017
2018
2019
2020
2022
That is not simply a French Open record.
It is one of the greatest records in the history of tennis.
Nadal won his first Roland-Garros title in 2005.
He won his 14th in 2022.
That means his championship span extended across 17 years.
For the complete story of Nadal’s career, records and GOAT case, visit our Rafael Nadal profile.
Nadal’s 14 Roland-Garros Championships
To understand the scale of Nadal’s record, it helps to look at how it developed.
2005 — Nadal Wins Roland-Garros on His First Attempt
Nadal entered Roland-Garros for the first time in 2005.
He was only 19 years old.
He won the tournament.
That immediately established him as one of the most dangerous clay-court players in the world.
Few could have imagined that the championship would become the first of 14.
2006 — Nadal Defeats Federer
Nadal successfully defended his title in 2006.
He defeated Roger Federer in the final.
That match became an early chapter in one of the greatest rivalries in tennis history.
Federer was dominating much of men’s tennis.
But on clay, Nadal presented a problem even Federer struggled to solve.
2007 — Three Consecutive Titles
Nadal defeated Federer again in the 2007 final.
He was now:
3 appearances
3 championships
Roland-Garros was rapidly becoming Nadal’s tournament.
2008 — One of Nadal’s Greatest Performances
Nadal’s 2008 Roland-Garros run was extraordinary.
He reached the final without losing a set and defeated Federer in one of the most dominant Grand Slam final performances of the modern era.
Nadal won:
6-1, 6-3, 6-0
It gave him his fourth consecutive Roland-Garros championship.
Nadal’s Only Early Roland-Garros Defeat
Nadal’s first defeat at Roland-Garros came in 2009.
Robin Söderling defeated him in the fourth round.
The result shocked the tennis world.
Until that match, Nadal had never lost at Roland-Garros.
The defeat opened the door for Roger Federer.
And Federer took advantage.
Roger Federer Wins Roland-Garros in 2009
Roger Federer defeated Robin Söderling in the 2009 final.
It was Federer’s first and only Roland-Garros championship.
But historically, it was much more important than simply adding another major.
The victory completed Federer’s Career Grand Slam.
He had now won:
Australian Open
Roland-Garros
Wimbledon
US Open
Federer therefore joined the small group of men’s players who had won all four Grand Slam tournaments.
For his complete career and records, visit our Roger Federer profile.
Nadal Returns: 2010–2014
After losing in 2009, Nadal returned to Roland-Garros in 2010.
He won the championship.
Then he won again in:
2011
2012
2013
2014
Five consecutive championships.
By the end of 2014, Nadal had won Roland-Garros nine times.
At that point, his record already appeared almost impossible to break.
But he would add five more.
Nadal vs Djokovic at Roland-Garros
Novak Djokovic became one of Nadal’s greatest rivals on clay.
Their Roland-Garros encounters produced some of the most important matches of their rivalry.
Djokovic accomplished something extremely rare:
He defeated Nadal at Roland-Garros.
And he did it twice.
That alone demonstrates Djokovic’s quality on clay because defeating Nadal in Paris was one of the most difficult challenges in professional tennis.
Their rivalry extended far beyond Roland-Garros, eventually reaching 60 matches.
Djokovic finished their overall rivalry ahead 31–29.
Read our complete Novak Djokovic vs Rafael Nadal head-to-head analysis.
Novak Djokovic — 3 Roland-Garros Titles
Novak Djokovic won Roland-Garros three times:
2016
2021
2023
Winning three French Open championships would represent an extraordinary clay-court career for almost any player.
But Djokovic competed during the same era as Rafael Nadal.
That historical context matters.
Despite facing the greatest Roland-Garros champion ever, Djokovic still managed to win the tournament three times.
Even more impressively, his three championships helped him complete a unique achievement.
Djokovic Won Every Grand Slam at Least Three Times
After winning Roland-Garros in 2023, Djokovic had won each of the four Grand Slam tournaments at least three times.
His major distribution became:
Australian Open — 10
Roland-Garros — 3
Wimbledon — 7
US Open — 4
That level of balance across hard courts, clay and grass is one of the strongest elements of Djokovic’s historical résumé.
For his complete career analysis, visit our Novak Djokovic profile.
Djokovic’s 2016 Roland-Garros Championship
Djokovic finally won his first Roland-Garros championship in 2016.
He defeated Andy Murray in the final.
The victory completed Djokovic’s Career Grand Slam.
It also meant Djokovic simultaneously held all four Grand Slam titles.
He had won:
Wimbledon 2015
US Open 2015
Australian Open 2016
Roland-Garros 2016
The achievement became known as the Nole Slam.
Djokovic Defeats Nadal in 2021
Djokovic’s 2021 Roland-Garros championship included one of the most significant victories of his career.
He defeated Nadal in the semifinals.
Considering Nadal’s record in Paris, defeating him at Roland-Garros represented an extraordinary achievement.
Djokovic then defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final after falling two sets behind.
The victory gave Djokovic his second Roland-Garros title and his second Career Grand Slam.
Djokovic Wins His Third Roland-Garros in 2023
Djokovic returned to the top in Paris in 2023.
He defeated Casper Ruud in the final.
The championship gave Djokovic his third Roland-Garros title.
It also moved him to 23 Grand Slam singles championships at the time, breaking his tie with Nadal.
Later that year, Djokovic won the US Open and reached 24 majors.
For the complete major leaderboard, read Who Has Won the Most Grand Slam Tennis Titles?.
Björn Borg — 6 Roland-Garros Titles
Before Nadal, Björn Borg was the defining men’s champion at Roland-Garros.
Borg won six titles:
1974
1975
1978
1979
1980
1981
His combination of endurance, movement, topspin and consistency made him exceptionally difficult to defeat on clay.
Borg’s six championships remain the second-highest men’s total of the Open Era.
What makes Borg even more remarkable is that he simultaneously dominated Wimbledon.
He won:
6 Roland-Garros titles
and
5 consecutive Wimbledon titles
Clay and grass require very different skills.
Borg’s ability to dominate both surfaces remains one of the great achievements in tennis history.
Nadal vs Borg at Roland-Garros
Before Nadal arrived, Borg represented the standard for men’s Roland-Garros dominance.
Then Nadal transformed the record.
| Player | Roland-Garros Titles |
|---|---|
| Rafael Nadal | 14 |
| Björn Borg | 6 |
Nadal won eight more titles than Borg.
In other words, Nadal could have stopped after winning his first six Roland-Garros championships and merely tied Borg.
He then won another eight.
That comparison helps illustrate just how extreme Nadal’s record became.
Nadal’s Second Roland-Garros Dynasty: 2017–2020
After his ninth championship in 2014, Nadal went two years without winning Roland-Garros.
Stan Wawrinka won in 2015.
Novak Djokovic won in 2016.
Then Nadal returned.
He won:
2017
2018
2019
2020
Four consecutive championships.
His 2020 title was particularly significant.
Nadal defeated Djokovic in the final:
6-0, 6-2, 7-5
That victory gave Nadal his 13th Roland-Garros championship.
Nadal’s Final Roland-Garros Title — 2022
Nadal won his 14th and final Roland-Garros championship in 2022.
He defeated Casper Ruud in the final.
The victory gave Nadal his 22nd Grand Slam singles title.
It also extended his Roland-Garros record to:
14
No other man has approached that total at the tournament.
How Dominant Was Rafael Nadal at Roland-Garros?
The title total tells only part of the story.
Nadal finished his Roland-Garros career with an extraordinary match record.
For most of his career, simply defeating Nadal in Paris was treated as one of the greatest possible achievements on clay.
He repeatedly won the tournament without losing a set.
He dominated multiple generations.
He defeated Federer.
He defeated Djokovic.
He defeated younger challengers.
And he continued winning championships well into his thirties.
This is why Nadal became universally associated with the nickname:
The King of Clay.
Nadal Won Roland-Garros Without Losing a Set Four Times
Nadal won the French Open without dropping a single set in:
2008
2010
2017
2020
Winning a Grand Slam without losing a set is extremely difficult.
Doing it four separate times at the same tournament is extraordinary.
It demonstrates that Nadal did not merely survive his way to 14 championships.
During several of those runs, he completely overwhelmed the field.
Nadal vs Federer at Roland-Garros
Roger Federer was one of the greatest players in tennis history.
But Roland-Garros exposed the scale of Nadal’s clay dominance.
Federer repeatedly reached the later stages of the tournament only to encounter Nadal.
Their matches in Paris became a defining part of their rivalry.
Nadal defeated Federer in the Roland-Garros final in:
2006
2007
2008
2011
Federer eventually won the tournament in 2009—the year Nadal lost to Söderling before the final.
Their Paris rivalry is one of the clearest examples of how Nadal shaped the Grand Slam résumés of other all-time greats.
Read our complete Rafael Nadal vs Roger Federer head-to-head.
Carlos Alcaraz — 2 Roland-Garros Titles
Carlos Alcaraz won consecutive Roland-Garros championships in:
2024
2025
His first title came against Alexander Zverev in the 2024 final.
His second came in one of the most dramatic Grand Slam finals ever played.
Alcaraz vs Sinner — 2025 Roland-Garros Final
Carlos Alcaraz faced Jannik Sinner in the 2025 final.
Sinner won the opening two sets.
He later held championship points.
Alcaraz survived.
The match lasted 5 hours and 29 minutes, becoming the longest Roland-Garros men’s singles final of the Open Era.
Alcaraz eventually won:
4-6, 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-6(3), 7-6(10-2)
It gave him his second consecutive Roland-Garros championship.
The match immediately became one of the defining encounters of the emerging Alcaraz-Sinner rivalry.
Alexander Zverev Wins Roland-Garros 2026
The 2026 tournament produced a new men’s champion.
Alexander Zverev — 2026 Champion
Alexander Zverev defeated Flavio Cobolli in the final:
6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-1
It was Zverev’s first Grand Slam singles championship.
The victory was especially significant because Zverev had previously lost three Grand Slam finals.
He had come close repeatedly.
In Paris in 2026, he finally broke through.
The victory also made Zverev the first German man to win Roland-Garros during the Open Era.
The Surprising 2026 Roland-Garros Tournament
The 2026 men’s tournament was highly unpredictable.
The previous two champions, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, did not reach the final.
Sinner suffered one of the tournament’s biggest shocks when he lost in the second round to Juan Manuel Cerundolo after leading by two sets.
That opened the draw considerably.
Eventually, the men’s championship came down to:
Alexander Zverev vs Flavio Cobolli
Zverev prevailed in five sets and finally became a Grand Slam champion.
The result demonstrates one of the most fascinating aspects of tennis:
Even when dominant players appear likely to control an era, Grand Slam tournaments can produce unexpected opportunities.
Chris Evert — 7 Roland-Garros Titles
On the women’s side, the record belongs to:
Chris Evert — 7 Titles
Evert won Roland-Garros in:
1974
1975
1979
1980
1983
1985
1986
Her seven championships remain the women’s singles record.
Like Nadal, Evert’s game was extraordinarily effective on clay.
Her consistency, movement and ability to construct points made her one of the greatest clay-court players in women’s tennis history.
Steffi Graf — 6 Roland-Garros Titles
Steffi Graf ranks immediately behind Evert with six Roland-Garros championships.
Graf won in:
1987
1988
1993
1995
1996
1999
Her 1988 championship formed part of one of the greatest seasons in tennis history.
That year Graf won:
Australian Open
Roland-Garros
Wimbledon
US Open
and
Olympic singles gold
She completed the Golden Slam.
No other singles player has replicated that achievement in a single calendar year.
Iga Swiatek — 4 Roland-Garros Titles
Iga Swiatek established herself as one of the leading modern women’s clay-court champions.
She won Roland-Garros in:
2020
2022
2023
2024
Her four titles placed her among the most successful women’s champions of the Open Era.
Her three consecutive championships from 2022 through 2024 demonstrated a level of modern Paris dominance rarely seen in the women’s game.
Mirra Andreeva Wins Roland-Garros 2026
The 2026 women’s tournament produced another historic result.
Mirra Andreeva — 2026 Champion
Mirra Andreeva defeated Maja Chwalinska in the final:
6-3, 6-2
Andreeva was only 19 years old.
The victory gave her the first Grand Slam singles title of her career.
It also made her the youngest women’s singles champion at Roland-Garros since Monica Seles in 1992.
The result established Andreeva as one of the leading young players of the new generation.
Women’s Roland-Garros Title Leaders
Among the leading women’s champions of the Open Era:
| Rank | Player | Roland-Garros Titles |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chris Evert | 7 |
| 2 | Steffi Graf | 6 |
| 3 | Iga Swiatek | 4 |
| T-4 | Justine Henin | 4 |
| T-5 | Monica Seles | 3 |
| T-5 | Serena Williams | 3 |
| T-5 | Margaret Court | 3 |
| T-5 | Arantxa Sánchez Vicario | 3 |
Evert remains alone at the top with seven.
Who Has Won the Most French Open Titles: Men vs Women?
The singles record holders are:
Men’s Record
Rafael Nadal — 14
Women’s Record
Chris Evert — 7
Nadal therefore won Roland-Garros exactly twice as many times as the women’s record holder.
But men’s and women’s records should not be directly treated as equivalent competitive comparisons.
They represent different tours, fields and historical circumstances.
What they demonstrate is that both Nadal and Evert achieved extraordinary sustained dominance on clay.
Nadal vs Djokovic vs Federer at Roland-Garros
The Big Three comparison is overwhelming:
| Player | Roland-Garros Titles |
|---|---|
| Rafael Nadal | 14 |
| Novak Djokovic | 3 |
| Roger Federer | 1 |
Nadal won:
10 more titles than Djokovic
and
13 more than Federer.
This is easily Nadal’s greatest statistical advantage over his two principal GOAT rivals.
But the comparison changes dramatically at other Grand Slam tournaments.
At the Australian Open:
Djokovic — 10
Federer — 6
Nadal — 2
At Wimbledon:
Federer holds the men’s record with eight championships.
That is why surface and tournament dominance matter when comparing the Big Three.
Read our complete Djokovic vs Nadal vs Federer comparison for the full statistical picture.
Nadal’s Roland-Garros Record vs Djokovic’s Australian Open Record
Two of the greatest examples of Grand Slam dominance are:
Rafael Nadal — 14 Roland-Garros titles
Novak Djokovic — 10 Australian Open titles
Both players transformed one Grand Slam into the defining tournament of their careers.
But Nadal’s advantage is substantial.
He won four more championships in Paris than Djokovic won in Melbourne.
For the complete Melbourne leaderboard, read Who Has Won the Most Australian Open Titles?.
Nadal’s Roland-Garros Record vs Federer’s Wimbledon Record
Another comparison is:
Rafael Nadal — 14 Roland-Garros titles
Roger Federer — 8 Wimbledon titles
Federer’s eight championships represent the men’s Wimbledon singles record.
But Nadal won six more championships at Roland-Garros.
These records represent different forms of surface specialization.
Nadal became the greatest clay-court champion.
Federer became the most successful men’s Wimbledon singles champion.
Djokovic became the most successful men’s Australian Open champion.
Together, the Big Three own extraordinary records at three different Grand Slam tournaments.
Why Was Nadal So Dominant on Clay?
Several characteristics of Nadal’s game were ideally suited to clay.
Heavy Topspin
Nadal’s forehand generated enormous topspin.
On clay, the ball bounced higher, making his forehand especially difficult for opponents to attack.
Movement
Nadal’s movement on clay was exceptional.
He could defend positions that would normally end points against other players.
Physical Endurance
Clay-court rallies can be long and physically demanding.
Nadal’s conditioning allowed him to maintain intensity deep into matches.
Defense to Offense
One of Nadal’s greatest abilities was turning defensive situations into attacking opportunities.
Opponents frequently believed they had control of a point only for Nadal to extend the rally and reverse it.
Mental Strength
Roland-Garros created enormous expectations for Nadal.
Yet year after year, he handled that pressure.
Winning 14 championships required not simply tennis ability but extraordinary mental resilience.
Why Is Roland-Garros Different From the Other Grand Slams?
Roland-Garros is the only Grand Slam played on clay.
The surface changes the game.
Clay generally produces:
higher bounces
longer rallies
more sliding
slower court conditions
and
greater physical demands
Players must construct points patiently.
Movement is different from hard courts and grass.
Serving alone is usually less dominant.
That is why players who succeed on faster surfaces do not automatically succeed at Roland-Garros.
Federer’s struggle to win the tournament during Nadal’s dominance is one example.
Djokovic’s persistence before finally winning in 2016 is another.
French Open Titles and the Grand Slam Record
Roland-Garros played an enormous role in Nadal’s overall Grand Slam total.
Nadal finished with:
22 Grand Slam singles titles
Of those:
14 came at Roland-Garros.
That means approximately two-thirds of Nadal’s majors came in Paris.
Compare the Big Three:
| Player | Roland-Garros Titles | Total Grand Slams |
|---|---|---|
| Rafael Nadal | 14 | 22 |
| Novak Djokovic | 3 | 24 |
| Roger Federer | 1 | 20 |
Nadal’s Paris dominance was the foundation of his Grand Slam résumé.
For the complete leaderboard, read Who Has Won the Most Grand Slam Tennis Titles?.
Roland-Garros and ATP Masters 1000 Clay Dominance
Nadal’s clay dominance extended beyond Roland-Garros.
He also won 26 clay-court ATP Masters 1000 titles.
His biggest Masters records include:
Monte-Carlo — 11 titles
Rome — 10 titles
Madrid — 5 titles
Combined with 14 Roland-Garros championships, these results demonstrate that Nadal’s clay dominance was not limited to one tournament.
He dominated the entire European clay-court ecosystem for years.
For the complete Masters leaderboard, read Who Has Won the Most ATP Masters 1000 Titles?.
Roland-Garros and World No. 1
Nadal’s dominance at Roland-Garros helped him accumulate enough ranking points to repeatedly reach World No. 1.
But rankings reveal an interesting contrast among the Big Three:
Novak Djokovic — 428 weeks at No. 1
Roger Federer — 310
Rafael Nadal — 209
Nadal dominates the Roland-Garros comparison.
Djokovic dominates the total-weeks-at-No. 1 comparison.
Federer sits between them in rankings while owning the men’s Wimbledon title record.
Different statistics therefore reveal different forms of greatness.
For the complete ranking leaderboard, read Who Has Spent the Most Weeks at World No. 1 in Tennis?.
Why Nadal’s 14 French Open Titles Matter in the GOAT Debate
There are many arguments in the tennis GOAT debate.
But Nadal has one argument that is almost impossible to match:
No man has dominated one Grand Slam tournament like Nadal dominated Roland-Garros.
Fourteen titles.
Across 17 years.
Against multiple generations.
During an era containing Federer and Djokovic.
That achievement represents an extraordinary combination of:
peak dominance
longevity
surface mastery
mental strength
and
consistency
Does it automatically make Nadal the GOAT?
No.
Djokovic leads in overall Grand Slam titles.
Djokovic leads in Masters 1000 titles.
Djokovic leads in weeks at World No. 1.
Federer holds other historic records.
But Nadal’s Roland-Garros dominance must carry significant weight in any serious evaluation.
Read How Is the Greatest Tennis Player of All Time Determined? for our complete discussion of GOAT criteria.
Could Anyone Break Nadal’s 14 Roland-Garros Titles Record?
Technically, yes.
Records exist to be challenged.
Realistically, 14 is an extraordinary target.
Consider what a future player would need to accomplish.
Winning Roland-Garros every year for:
10 years
would still leave that player four championships short of Nadal.
Even winning the tournament every other year across a 20-year career would produce only 10 titles.
A player would need extraordinary clay-court ability, longevity, health and consistency.
They would also need to avoid another dominant clay specialist emerging during their career.
Carlos Alcaraz won consecutive titles in 2024 and 2025.
Iga Swiatek has demonstrated extraordinary women’s clay-court ability.
Future champions will continue accumulating titles.
But reaching 14 would require something historically unprecedented.
French Open Titles FAQ
Who has won the most French Open men’s singles titles?
Rafael Nadal, with 14.
How many French Open titles did Rafael Nadal win?
Nadal won 14 Roland-Garros singles championships.
Which years did Nadal win Roland-Garros?
Nadal won in:
2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2022.
Who has won the most women’s French Open titles?
Chris Evert, with seven.
How many Roland-Garros titles did Novak Djokovic win?
Djokovic won three, in 2016, 2021 and 2023.
How many French Open titles did Roger Federer win?
Federer won one, in 2009.
How many Roland-Garros titles did Björn Borg win?
Borg won six.
How many Roland-Garros titles did Steffi Graf win?
Graf won six.
How many Roland-Garros titles has Iga Swiatek won?
As of August 2026, Swiatek has won four Roland-Garros singles titles.
How many Roland-Garros titles has Carlos Alcaraz won?
As of August 2026, Alcaraz has won two, in 2024 and 2025.
Who won Roland-Garros in 2026?
Alexander Zverev won the 2026 men’s singles championship.
Mirra Andreeva won the 2026 women’s singles championship.
Who did Alexander Zverev beat in the 2026 Roland-Garros final?
Zverev defeated Flavio Cobolli in five sets:
6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-1
Was the 2026 French Open Zverev’s first Grand Slam?
Yes.
The 2026 Roland-Garros championship was Alexander Zverev’s first Grand Slam singles title.
Who did Mirra Andreeva beat in the 2026 women’s final?
Andreeva defeated Maja Chwalinska 6-3, 6-2.
How old was Mirra Andreeva when she won Roland-Garros?
Andreeva was 19 years old when she won the 2026 championship.
Who beat Nadal at Roland-Garros?
Only a very small number of players defeated Nadal in Paris during his career.
His rare defeats underline the extraordinary scale of his dominance.
Did Djokovic ever beat Nadal at Roland-Garros?
Yes.
Djokovic defeated Nadal at Roland-Garros twice.
Did Federer ever beat Nadal at Roland-Garros?
Federer never defeated Nadal at Roland-Garros.
Who did Federer beat to win the 2009 French Open?
Federer defeated Robin Söderling in the final.
Why is the French Open called Roland-Garros?
The tournament is officially known as Roland-Garros and is named after French aviation pioneer Roland Garros.
What surface is Roland-Garros played on?
Roland-Garros is played on clay.
It is the only Grand Slam tournament played on that surface.
Who Is the Greatest French Open Player Ever?
For men’s singles, there is virtually no statistical debate.
Rafael Nadal
14 Roland-Garros titles.
The next-highest men’s Open Era total belongs to Björn Borg with six.
That means Nadal won more than twice as many championships as Borg.
Nadal’s dominance included multiple undefeated championship runs, victories over other all-time greats and titles separated by 17 years.
For women’s singles, the record belongs to:
Chris Evert
7 Roland-Garros titles.
Steffi Graf follows with six.
Both Nadal and Evert became synonymous with excellence on clay.
But Nadal’s 14-title record exists on another statistical level entirely.
French Open Records and the Tennis GOAT Debate
The Big Three produced three extraordinary Grand Slam records:
Rafael Nadal — 14 Roland-Garros titles
Novak Djokovic — 10 Australian Open titles
Roger Federer — 8 Wimbledon titles
Each man owns a different signature Grand Slam record.
But Nadal’s 14 is the largest.
That makes Roland-Garros central to Nadal’s GOAT argument.
Djokovic counters with broader statistical advantages, including:
24 Grand Slam singles titles
40 ATP Masters 1000 titles
428 weeks at World No. 1
Federer’s résumé includes:
20 Grand Slam titles
8 Wimbledon championships
310 weeks at World No. 1
and
237 consecutive weeks at No. 1
Which achievements should carry the most weight?
That is exactly why the GOAT debate remains fascinating.
For the full comparison, read Djokovic vs Nadal vs Federer: Who Is the Greatest?.
Vote for the Greatest Tennis Player of All Time
Rafael Nadal won Roland-Garros 14 times.
Novak Djokovic won the Australian Open 10 times.
Roger Federer won Wimbledon eight times.
But which form of dominance matters most?
Should Nadal’s unmatched mastery of clay give him a special advantage?
Should Djokovic’s broader statistical records matter more?
Should Federer’s Wimbledon dominance, longevity and impact be given greater weight?
Or should another champion rank above all three?
There is no official formula.
That’s why fans can decide.
VIEW THE LIVE TENNIS GOAT RANKING AND CAST YOUR VOTE
Compare the candidates, see the current voting results and make your choice.
Final Answer: Who Has Won the Most French Open Titles?
The French Open singles record holders are:
Men’s Record
Rafael Nadal — 14 titles
Women’s Record
Chris Evert — 7 titles
Among the leading men’s champions of the Open Era:
Rafael Nadal — 14
Björn Borg — 6
Novak Djokovic — 3
Mats Wilander — 3
Ivan Lendl — 3
Gustavo Kuerten — 3
Nadal’s record stands alone.
He won Roland-Garros 14 times between 2005 and 2022 and built the greatest single-tournament résumé in men’s Grand Slam history.
The 2026 tournament added a new name to the champions list when Alexander Zverev defeated Flavio Cobolli to capture his first Grand Slam championship.
On the women’s side, 19-year-old Mirra Andreeva defeated Maja Chwalinska to win her first major.
New champions will continue to emerge.
But anyone chasing the men’s Roland-Garros record faces one extraordinary number:
14.
That is Rafael Nadal’s record.
And it may remain one of the hardest records in tennis history to break.
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