Nadal

Nadal dominated Sunday's final as he won 11 consecutive games across the second and third sets to win a 22nd grand slam title -- two ahead of rivals Roger ...

It's not easy and I'm not the first victim -- I know that there have been many before." "It's something that I for sure never believed I'd be here at 36, being competitive again, playing in the most important court of my career one more final -- it means a lot to me." Nadal's tactic of targeting Ruud's backhand proved effective, but he wobbled at the start of the second set -- first as he squandered break points in the opening game, then when he was broken to love in the fourth game.

Many people on social media understood the magnitude of this match in tennis history as Nadal further separates himself from Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer in ...

And everyone made sure to congratulate Nadal on another successful French Open campaign, including one from Real Madrid: Rafael Nadal continued to make history on Sunday by defeating Casper Ruud 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 in the French Open Final. It was his 14th French Open title in 17 tries, and 22nd major title overall, both the most ever. Twitter Reacts to Rafael Nadal Winning His 14th French Open

Nadal extended his men's singles record of 22 Grand Slam titles with a win in straight sets over Casper Ruud.

His one genuine surge came at the start of the second set, when he broke Nadal’s serve again to take a 3-1 lead but at 30-30 in the next game, Ruud lined up an inside-out forehand and perhaps sensing that excellence was required, went for just too much and missed. Nadal was not at his best early and was at times far from his best: losing his serve in the third game with two double faults and an off-rhythm forehand unforced error into the middle of the net. That forced Nadal to take another extended break and miss most of the clay-court season before returning in Madrid last month. And there was Nadal, with his extreme topspin forehand and hard-wired combativeness. He certainly looked ready for more against Ruud, picking up speed and precision as the match progressed. That was before the final, and on Sunday afternoon after it was over in a hurry, Ruud made it clear in his runner-up speech his that he had not changed his mind. So many records. It just means a lot of energy to try to keep going.” “It means a lot to me, means everything. Carlos Alcaraz, a young Spaniard, seemed to be rising like a rocket. Nadal’s tone of late has been valedictory: he has repeatedly referred to the possibility that he could be playing his final French Open. But after slamming the door on Ruud on Sunday and then hugging him at the net, Nadal made it clear that this was not going to be the tennis equivalent of a walk-off grand slam. Novak Djokovic appeared to be regathering momentum.

Despite questions about his age and injuries, Rafa Nadal steamrolled through the French Open final to win his 14th title. Here's how he did it.

I am just enjoying every day that I have the chance to be here, and without thinking much about what can happen in the future." He insisted after his victory over Djokovic on Tuesday that he wasn't focusing on anything beyond the French Open and was just trying to appreciate every moment. Nadal has said he doesn't know how long he'll be able to play tennis and has said every match he plays in could very well be his last. But Nadal's status for Wimbledon, or the rest of the season, is unclear, despite winning the first two majors of the year for the first time in his storied career. "Today I got to feel what it's like to play against you in the final, and it's not easy. It seemed unlikely Nadal would be able to get past Djokovic in the quarters once the draw was revealed -- if he were even able to get to that stage. Ruud, who grew up idolizing Nadal and was able to rattle off with ease all seven of Nadal's previous French Open final opponents, is further proof of Nadal's legacy in the sport. "He raised his level when he needed to," Auger-Aliassime said after the match. Nadal announced he would be out recovering but hoped to be back in time for the clay season. For the latter part of the 2021 season, even Nadal wasn't sure about whether he would be able to play again due to his foot. "Rafa getting to 22, and with 14 titles at Roland Garros, is one of the greatest accomplishments in sports," said Pam Shriver, the 21-time major doubles champion and ESPN analyst. Instead, he raised his arms over his head and gave an emphatic fistpump to the adoring crowd.

Brain Game analyses where Rafael Nadal excelled against Casper Ruud in the final at Roland Garros, where the Spaniard earned his 14th Coupe des ...

There were a sizable 30 points played in five and six-shot rallies and just 18 points played in seven and eight-shot rallies. Ruud won four-shot rallies 9-6, but things dramatically changed when one more shot was hit in the court. Nadal defeated Ruud 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 in the Roland Garros final on Sunday on the back of dominating points in which he hit exactly three balls in the court when serving and receiving.

Rafael Nadal defeated Casper Ruud in straight sets Sunday to win his 14th French Open championship and 22nd Grand Slam title.

When the players met at the net for the prematch coin toss, the first chants of "Ra-fa! Ra-fa!" rang out in the 15,000-seat stadium. Ruud led 3-1 in the second set, a deficit that spurred Nadal to raise his level -- he took the last 11 games. The two had never met in a real match until Sunday, when a championship, money, ranking points, prestige and a piece of history were on the line. "I'm not the first victim. He has won six major finals in which he has conceded fewer than 10 games, breaking a tie with Richard Sears for the most by any man in tennis history. The Spaniard's first triumph in Paris came in 2005 at age 19. The oldest champion in tournament history had been Andres Gimeno, who was 34 when he won in 1972. Wimbledon is not a tournament that I want to miss. "The preparation was not ideal," he said. I had my doctor here with me -- I don't know how to say in English what we did, we played with no feeling on the foot, we played with an injection in the nerve so the foot was asleep -- that's why I was able to play." If I am able to play with anti-inflammatories? Rafael Nadal overwhelmed Casper Ruud in straight sets Sunday to win his 14th French Open championship and 22nd Grand Slam title.

The King of Clay dominated Norway's Casper Ruud in straight sets Sunday to earn his 22nd career Grand Slam while improving his record at Roland Garros to 112–3.

In the months since his inspiring return in late December, Nadal has claimed his second Australian Open title, moving him into a tie with Djokovic and Roger Federer for the most men’s singles major titles of all-time. The past 12 months have been particularly trying for Nadal as he has dealt with a degenerative bone condition in his left foot known as Mueller-Weiss syndrome. “I don’t know, I can’t confirm or say,” Nadal said regarding a French Open return.

PARIS — Rafael Nadal pulled away to beat Casper Ruud 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 in the French Open final on Sunday for his 14th championship at Roland Garros and 22nd ...

The two had never met in a real match until Sunday, when a championship, money, ranking points, prestige and a piece of history were on the line. He can now place this latest Coupe des Mousquetaires alongside the trophies he gathered at Roland Garros from 2005-08, 2010-14 and 2017-20. He considers Nadal his idol. The Spaniard’s first triumph in Paris came in 2005 at age 19. He’d never even played in a major quarterfinal until now. Nadal also committed fewer unforced errors, making just 16 to Ruud’s 26.

Nadal's victory came two days after his 36th birthday and made him the oldest title winner in the history of the clay-court tournament.

The two had never met in a real match until Sunday, when a championship, money, ranking points, prestige and a piece of history were on the line. He can now place this latest Coupe des Mousquetaires alongside the trophies he gathered at Roland Garros from 2005-08, 2010-14 and 2017-20. He considers Nadal his idol. The Spaniard's first triumph in Paris came in 2005 at age 19. He'd never even played in a major quarterfinal until now. Nadal also committed fewer unforced errors, making just 16 to Ruud's 26.

Rafael Nadal strengthened his lead in the Pepperstone ATP Race To Turin by capturing his 14th title at Roland Garros. The Spaniard is in pole position to ...

The man Nadal defeated in the Roland Garros final, Casper Ruud, surged four spots to fourth in the Race with 3,065 points. Alcaraz, the reigning Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals champion, strengthened his standing in second with 3,820 points as he tries to qualify for the first time. The lefty on Sunday extended his record number of major trophies to 21.

At the 2022 French Open, Rafael Nadal more than cemented his ongoing legacy as the King of Clay. And Iga Swiatek proved she may be the next one in line for ...

She has brought order to the previous chaos of the women's draw, where it was fiercely difficult to predict a surefire winner. Swiatek was also open about why she turned down the chance to watch the Champions League final for fear of it throwing her off her rhythm. But it all comes back to one overriding goal: She was asked earlier in the tournament about what her favorite part of tennis is. Especially, I feel like even on the net I could be more solid." It's all part of her unique nature: On the court she goes into her mode of unwavering competitiveness, while off-court she's entertaining and amiable, not afraid to share some insight into her champion's mindset. That gold-plated vision of dominance resonated with Swiatek, and she may be ready to take on his mantle as the foremost force on clay. Her triumph crowned an eventful couple of weeks for the women's side of the draw. Swiatek spoke early on about the pressures of being No. 1 and how she manages it, but she very rarely looked nervous out on court. "Well, for me, I felt the baggage," she said. His ridiculous record of 112 wins to just three defeats at Roland Garros only adds to the aura. But the match finished with him shutting those down in front of an adoring crowd. Nadal was mentioned among Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz as an option to win the men's singles, but should we ever have doubted him?