In the year that Rafael Nadal will almost certainly make his last appearance at Roland Garros… This year’s French Open marks 25 years since a 17-year-old top talented Swiss junior named Roger Federer played his first main draw match of a Grand Slam, against none other than the 2-time defending US Open Champion & World No.3 Patrick Rafter.

Federer won the 1st Set 7-5, but Rafter would drop a mere 5 more games to power away and complete the win against the future 20-time major winner 5-7, 6-3 6-0 6-2, although since Postman Pat was a serve & volley exponent on clay, he was picked off in the 3rd Round by Fernando Meligeni.

Still, I’ve got no idea what was up with that pair of board shorts that Rafter was wearing.

Federer would have to wait until the 2000 Australian Open (His first appearance in Australia) to win his first match at a Grand Slam event, defeating another former major winner in Michael Chang.

An odd fact is that thanks to this win, plus his wins at Miami and Halle in 2001, Rafter has at least two unique records in men’s tennis:

He is the only player that finished with an unbeaten record against Roger Federer after at least 3 meetings.

He is the only player to finish with a winning record against Federer on clay, grass and hard courts.

Albeit that all of their meetings came during Rafter’s peak years and Federer’s early years.