Gasquet and a 0-18 H2H against Nadal: "It hurts me that I have never beaten him"

Jose Morón - 5 Nov 2026 | 15:08
ATP Richard Gasquet Rafael Nadal

The Frenchman was part of one of the most unequal matches in tennis history, being unable to ever win against Rafa in his career.

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Nadal and Gasquet. Photo: Getty

Within the world of tennis, one of the greatest inequalities in a rivalry is the one between Rafa Nadal and Richard Gasquet. The Frenchman accumulated a 0-18 record against Rafa and was never able to defeat him at the professional level. Although Gasquet was a great player and a Top 10 member, his game was significantly different from that of Nadal, who loved facing him due to how well his style suited him.

Aside from the clash of styles between the two, there was also a component of understanding the work. This was explained by Toni Nadal at a recent event in Paris. "One preseason, Richard Gasquet came to train with us at Rafa Nadal's academy in Mallorca. He trained in the morning and afternoon. Rafa would pick him up from the hotel and they would go straight to practice. After three days, he said he couldn't take it anymore. He told us he wasn't used to that pace," Toni explained.

The French player, who was a good friend of Rafa and maintained a strong relationship throughout their careers, began his junior phase being better than Nadal and defeating him, but as they both grew, the Spaniard reached an absolutely unreachable level for a Gasquet who retired without ever having beaten his contemporary.

Gasquet and a H2H of 0-18 against Rafa Nadal

Richard Gasquet was part of one of the most unfavorable head-to-head records in tennis history. The Frenchman faced Rafa Nadal 18 times on the professional circuit and lost all of them. A rivalry that became an authentic nightmare for the Frenchman, to the point of admitting that, over the years, it became increasingly difficult for him to believe he could defeat the Spaniard.

"It's horrible. I'm not going to pretend it has been a pleasure facing him so many times and always losing. I deeply regret never having beaten him. Now that he has retired, I won’t have that opportunity," Gasquet acknowledged to RMC Sport in December 2024. Months later, he elaborated on that frustration: "At first, I wasn't afraid of him; I knew I could beat him. But as time passed, it became harder, and he progressed more. I developed a huge complex. He was simply too good."

 

 

To understand that helplessness, one must analyze both players' styles. Gasquet had one of his greatest virtues in his one-handed backhand, but that stroke suffered greatly against Nadal's left-handed forehand. The spin and height of the Spaniard's ball neutralized his main weapons, forcing him to hit constantly from very uncomfortable positions. A tactical problem that also became a mental barrier.

"Facing Nadal is a brutal experience. There is no one who plays like him. I had never seen such a powerful forehand. Every ball is contested with maximum intensity, and you can't afford to play a single shot without giving your all," he confessed after losing to the Mallorcan at Roland Garros 2021. Years earlier, in Eurosport, he had already explained the issue: "For me, Nadal has the worst playing style possible. His ball weighs a lot, and his forehand neutralizes my one-handed backhand. He is left-handed, has incredible power, and even if you are very motivated, that's not enough."

Currently, we still find very unbalanced rivalries within the ATP circuit. An example is Alex de Miñaur against Jannik Sinner, with a record of 0-13 in favor of the Italian. Richard Gasquet's statements help to understand what a player may experience when losing repeatedly against the same opponent. Because, beyond the tennis differences, stringing together so many defeats can create a psychological barrier that is hard to overcome, even before stepping onto the court.

 

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Gasquet y un H2H ante Nadal de 0-18: "Me duele no haberle ganado nunca"