Rafael Nadal claimed the 14th Roland Garros title last Sunday. Nadal remained undefeated in the finals in Paris, and he secured the 22nd Major trophy to move further away from Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer. Billie Jean King was there to present Rafa the 22nd Major title, feeling honored and praising the Spaniard who continues to write new pages of tennis history.
Struggling with a foot injury, Nadal endured all the efforts and regained the crown at his beloved Major after losing it to Novak Djokovic a year ago. The Spaniard beat the Serb in the quarter-final and reached the title clash when Alexander Zverev retired in the semis after a massive fight.
Billie Jean King presented Rafael Nadal with his 22nd Major crown.
The first-time Major finalist Casper Ruud stood between Rafa and the 22nd Major title, and the Spaniard did not miss a chance to extend his already rich trophy cabinet.
Rafa notched a 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 victory in two hours and 18 minutes for another brilliant run at his beloved Major. The Norwegian used a favorable draw to achieve a career-best result and become the first Major finalist from his country.
Still, he stood no chance against Nadal, who broke him eight times from 16 opportunities. Rafa fired 37 winners and 18 unforced errors and pushed the rival’s backhand to the limits in one of his most one-sided Roland Garros finals.
They stayed neck and neck in the shortest range up to four strokes, and Nadal forged the victory in the more advanced exchanges. The Spaniard was especially impressive in those rallies with five or six shots, building a 24-6 lead and marching over the finish line in the third set.
They traded early breaks in the opener, and Nadal grabbed another at 2-1 to forge his second lead. They both served well in the remaining games, and Rafa closed the set with a service winner at 5-3. Ruud broke at love in the second set’s fourth game following Nadal’s errors and forged a 3-1 advantage.
Rafa shifted into a higher gear and rattled off 11 consecutive games to topple the young rival and race towards the finish line. The Spaniard produced a bagel in the third set and sealed the deal with a backhand down the line winner for his 14th Roland Garros trophy.
This news is republished from another source. You can check the original article here