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PARIS. — Spain’s Rafael Nadal will look to continue his remarkable career after crushing Norway’s Casper Ruud 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 yesterday to lift a record-extending 14th French Open tennis title at Roland Garros, saying despite injury concerns he would battle on.
The Spaniard, the world’s best ever claycourt player, won 11 games in a row to cruise through the second and third sets to take his tally to an all-time best 22 men’s Grand Slam titles, two more than rivals Swiss Roger Federer and world number one Novak Djokovic of Serbia.
“I don’t know what can happen in the future. I will keep fighting to try to keep going,” he told the crowd at Court Philipp Chatrier.
“For me it is incredible to play here with an amazing support from you to me.”
Nadal found little resistance as Ruud, the world number eight, was too busy battling to hang on for dear life.
Thundering groundstrokes moved the Norwegian across the baseline as the Spaniard gave his opponent no chance.
“For me personally it is very difficult to describe the feelings that I have,” Nadal said.
“It’s something that I for sure never believed, to be here at 36, being competitive again, playing in the most important court of my career one more final.”
At the final in January’s Australian Open, Nadal, who turned 36 on Friday, came from two sets down to beat Daniil Medvedev and bag a second title there.
A couple of months earlier he was even considering retiring after a foot problem that has troubled him throughout his career resurfaced, forcing him to miss much of the 2021 season including Wimbledon, the Olympics and the US Open.
He arrived in Paris with his own doctor to get through the tournament despite the injury.
“Especially in the very tough moments we went through in terms of injuries, if you don’t have great support from the team nothing of this would happen because I would have retired much before,” Nadal added.
In a disappointing final, 36-year-old Nadal won 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 with victory coming 17 years to the day since he claimed his first French Open as a 19-year-old in 2005.
Nadal won the last 11 games of the final and is now two Slams ahead of old rivals Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer with yesterday’s victory coming against all the odds.
Nadal, the oldest winner in Paris since a 34-year-old Andre Gimeno in 1972, had not been certain of taking part after a chronic left foot injury, which has plagued him throughout his career, flared up again.
He also needed the best part of a gruelling 12 hours to see off Felix Auger-Aliassime, Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev in the previous three rounds.
“I don’t know what I would do in terms of injuries if it wasn’t for the team, my family and everyone around me,” said Nadal.
“I would’ve already retired much before if it wasn’t for you. “I never believed, that I’d be here at 36, being competitive again. Being here, means a lot to me on the most important court in my career. It helps me to keep going.
“For me, it’s incredible to play here. It’s an incredible feeling. I don’t know what can happen in the future, but I’m going to keep fighting to try to keep going.”
His two-hour 18-minute win on Sunday took his record at the tournament to 112 wins against just three losses and also put him halfway to a rare calendar men’s Grand Slam last achieved by Rod Laver in 1969.
“The most important thing is to congratulate Rafa,” said Ruud.
“You are a true champion. This is the first time I have faced you so now I know what it’s like to be the victim! There will be many others. — AFP.
Online Reporter