The 6-4 6-1 6-2 victory saw Nadal become just the second male player in the Open era to reach 11 finals at the same Grand Slam tournament, equalling Roger Federer’s record at Wimbledon.
Nadal has now won 24 of his 27 Grand Slam semi-finals as he swept aside the threat of the Argentine in clinical fashion to set up a meeting with Dominic Thiem – the only man to have beaten him on the dirt in 2018 – in Sunday’s final.
“It’s impossible without hard work and going through tough moments. You have to be focused and keep your passion for the game. I never dreamed in 2005 when I played my first final here that I would be in another one.”
Del Potro seemed to hurt his left hip during the third game of the match after getting wrong-footed and called the tournament doctor with Nadal leading 3-2.
The dominant Spaniard, who has never failed to win the title when reaching the last four at Roland Garros, rampaged his way through the next, building a 5-0 lead, before Del Potro raised his arms in celebration after managing a hold to avoid the dreaded bagel.
Nadal was not in a charitable frame of mind, though, as he cantered through his next service game with new balls to edge closer to another final.
A sumptuous cross-court backhand winner by Nadal handed him a double-break in the fifth game and it wasn’t long after before he closed out proceedings in two hours and 14 minutes to take his place in Sunday’sshowpiece against Thiem, who he enjoys a 6-3 head-to-head record against.