PARIS ( Associated Press) — Spaniard Rafael Nadal beat Casper Ruud in three sets in the French Open final on Sunday to win his 14th Roland Garros title and 22nd Grand Slam title.
Nadal beat the 23-year-old Norwegian 6-3, 6-3, 6-0, who was in his first Grand Slam final and his first official match against his idol.
The 36-year-old Spaniard has won the last 11 games since going down 3-1 in the second set.
Nadal’s win on Sunday comes two days after his birthday and makes him the oldest winner in the history of this clay-court tournament.
Nadal concisely and flawlessly by racking up more than twice as many winners as Ruud, 37 to 16. Nadal also made fewer unforced errors, just 16 to Ruud’s 26.
When finishing with a backhand from the ground, Nadal threw his racket to the red clay he loves so much and covered his face with the bandaged fingers of both hands.
The Spaniard’s first victory here was in 2005 at the age of 19. No man or woman has won the singles trophy at a major event more than her 14 in Paris.
And no one has lifted more Grand Slam titles than Nadal.
He is now two ahead of rivals Roger Federer, who hasn’t played in nearly a year following a series of knee operations, and Novak Djokovic, who missed the Australian Open in January because he was not vaccinated against COVID-19. and fell to Nadal at Roland Garros.
Given his age and, more worryingly, chronic left foot pain that has been an on-and-off problem for years, Nadal has repeatedly said in recent days that he can never be sure if every match on Court Philippe Chatrier could be his last.
However, there appears to be no reason to quit now, considering he outclassed four top-10 seeded French Open opponents (Felix Auger-Aliassime, nine, in the fourth round; top-seeded Djokovic in the quarterfinals). final; number three Alexander Zverev, who withdrew from the semifinals with a foot injury; and then eighth-seeded Ruud).
Nadal improved to 14-0 in finals at Roland Garros and 112-3 overall in his favorite tournament.
Despite all he’s accomplished, Nadal has now done something he’s never done before: He’s halfway through a calendar-year Grand Slam after taking titles at the Australian Open and French Open in the same season. .
