Rafael Nadal turned 37 on Saturday, and it will be only the third time in his career that his birthday will not find him at the Port d’Autais complex. The injured Iberian could not defend his title won last year. He will hand over the crown (to whom we will see on June 11), but still Rafa is “present” everywhere at Roland Garros.

>> Rafael Nadal and how he spends his birthday unpleasantly

Rafael Nadal, the history of participation in Roland Garros

Played 14 finals, won all of them. Also, he has never won in 5 sets (he won in 4 sets at most: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2019 editions).

The editions in which Rafael Nadal won the trophy from Philippe Chatrier: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2022.

He has 112 victories on Parisian soil and only 3 defeats

• with Robin Soderling in 2009, fourth round.

• with Novak Djokovic in 2015, in the quarter, on his birthday.

• with Novak Djokovic in 2021, in the semifinals.

Footage from Rafael Nadal’s first match at Roland Garros

Nadal vs Djokovic, crowd reaction to last head-to-head, 2022 quarterfinals

Roland Garros 2023 – Rafael Nadal is “present” in the Paris complex

For the first time in his career, he had to announce a loss from “Roland Garros”, but he is “present” at the complex through all kinds of posters. It could not be otherwise when we are talking about a person who won the trophy 14 times (!) on Parisian soil.

Saturday will be only the third time in his career that Nadal will not be at Roland Garros on his birthday.

This happened previously in 2009 (when he lost to Robin Soderling on 31 May and on 27 May 2016 when Rafa retired before his third round match against Marcel Granollers).