When Rafael Nadal ends Roger Federer’s dominance in Dubai Classic final | ATP Tour

Rafael Nadal

When Nadal ends Federer’s dominance in Dubai Classic final

The Spaniard ended Federer’s 56-match hard court winning streak at the 2006 tournament championship

February 25, 2026

March 2006. Roger Federer’s dominance reaches its peak.

The Swiss has held the number one position in the PIF ATP rankings for more than two years. He had won six of his previous nine majors, including three in a row, and tour-level finals had become routine, winning 26 of his previous 27 championships. On hard courts, he was unbeatable, winning 56 games in a row.

Dubai feels like another coronation.

Federer did not drop a set in the final of the 2006 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. Across the net stood 19-year-old Rafael Nadal. He was already ranked No. 2 in the world and established as one of the brightest talents in the sport, but was still widely regarded as a clay-court specialist. He was also playing in his second game after missing three months with a foot injury.

Even so, early signs suggest the game could be challenging. Nadal has won two of his first three Lexus ATP Head2Head matches, showing that the Spaniard can find a solution against the world number one. On March 4, 2006, in the hot desert of Dubai, the increasingly fierce competition took another important step.

Federer got off to an impressive start, winning the first set 6-2 with the control typical of his reign. By that stage, the finals seemed to be on track.

However, Nadal gradually entered this conflict. Although he only scored 20% of the points on Federer’s first serve and 43% of the points on his second serve, he seized the key opportunities. At 4-4, 0/40 of the second set, Nadal chased down a lob from Federer and hit a searing forehand pass, the shot snap that decided their rivalry.

The third set followed a similar pattern, with Nadal breaking Federer’s serve again at 4-4 when the world number one missed a midfield forehand at 30/40. After 1 hour and 53 minutes, the Spaniard won 2-6, 6-4, 6-4.

“[It is] “It’s very special, three months after the injury, it’s unbelievable for me,” Nadal said in an on-court interview. “To play the second match and win it is unbelievable for me.” [amazing]. I never wanted to be like this. Playing Roger is a special thing for me and I’m delighted.

“He’s No. 1 and definitely the best. I won this race and I came back good, so I’ll try to keep going.”

When Nadal ended Federer’s 19-match winning streak in Dubai:

After his victory, Nadal fell to the ground in elation before rising to lift his 13th tour-level trophy. At the age of 19, he also became the youngest champion in Dubai, a record that still stands today.

For Federer, the defeat, while rare, was not shocking, but it was significant.

“Rafa performed better today and deserved to win,” Federer said in an on-court interview. “He has a good record against me. At least I have something to look forward to. I enjoy playing against him when I play against him. He is such a contrast to my style and I think people like it, so hopefully we can play more often in the future.”

They will.

Over the next 15 years, Federer and Nadal met 40 times (Nadal led 24-16) in one of the sport’s defining rivalries.

Federer cited Dubai as one of his most successful stops. He won a record eight titles at the event and won his 100th tour-level title in 2019, joining Jimmy Connors (109) and Novak Djokovic (101) as one of only three players to win more than 100 titles.

Yet 20 years later, the 2006 Dubai final still stands out.