If someone told you Rafael Nadal was the best male tennis player ever, it’d be hard to argue. But between Roger Federer and Pete Sampras, among others, there might at least be a warranted conversation. When it comes to excellence on clay — specifically on the clay at the French Open — Nadal is unmatched.
On Sunday, Nadal beat Casper Rudd (a +390 underdog) in straight sets in the French Open Final. And while credit is due to Rudd for putting up a fight, he probably never really stood a chance against the King of Clay.
The win gives Nadal his astonishing 14th title (where he’s also never lost) at Roland-Garros. No one else in men’s tennis history has more than eight French Open titles. Here is the moment of pure jubilation for the Spaniard as he adds yet another Grand Slam trophy to his collection:
The 👑 of Paris!@RafaelNadal is 14-0 at #RolandGarros finals! He defeats Ruud in straight sets 6-3,6-3,6-0. pic.twitter.com/cwgiKNdR64
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) June 5, 2022
🥲🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/5EIXcgpizv
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 5, 2022
Amazing. After all his success, Nadal is still raw and emotional when he achieves the expected. Indeed, a man of the people.
In addition to his latest display of dominance on clay, Nadal now has 22 Grand Slam titles. That is the most all-time for men, and two more than his long-time rival/peer Roger Federer. Most of that incredible resume comes from the French Open, which means we could perhaps call it “Rafa-Garros” moving forward.
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