French Open 2019: 5 things you must know about Federer-Nadal rivalry

The Last Time They Met At Roland Garros Was In 2011

Though Federer showed fight, Nadal was unstoppable back in the day winning his 6th French Open title.

Rafael Nadal announced his arrival on tennis' biggest stage, winning a French Open title in his very first attempt in 2005. By 2006, his rivalry with Federer had become a thing, with the two meeting each other at every French Open and Wimbledon final between 2006 and 2008. Nadal defied all odds when he stopped Federer from winning a sixth consecutive Wimbledon title after a five-hour epic to win his maiden Wimbledon title in 2008.

The 2010 Australian Open turned out to be Federer's last grand slam win for quite a while. Nadal won all the other majors in that year, and the 2009 French Open was his only attempt at the title he did not win between 2005 and 2014. In 2011, the two players looked all set for their first meeting at the Roland Garros after the 2008 Final.

Though Nadal won the first two sets 7-5, 7-6, Federer won the third set. However, like the 2008 Wimbledon Final, winning three consecutive sets turned out to be too much of an ask for Federer, with Nadal closing the match winning the fourth set 6-1.