On Sunday, Rafael Nadal won his 14th French Open championship and a record-extending 22nd Grand Slam trophy, defeating Casper Ruud in straight sets to become Roland Garros’ oldest male winner.
36-year-old Nadal won 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 in a dismal final, 17 years after claiming his first French Open title as a 19-year-old in 2005.
Nadal won the last 11 games to go two Slams ahead of former rivals Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, with his win on Sunday coming against all odds.
After a persistent left foot issue that has troubled him throughout his career flared up again, Nadal, the oldest champion in Paris since a 34-year-old Andre Gimeno in 1972, was unsure whether he would be able to compete.
In the previous three rounds, he required a 12-hour marathon to beat Felix Auger-Aliassime, Novak Djokovic, and Alexander Zverev.
READ MORE: Rafael Nadal Would Rather Lose Final and Get New Foot
His two-hour, 18-minute victory on Sunday improved his tournament record to 112 wins and three defeats, putting him halfway to a calendar men’s Grand Slam last accomplished by Rod Laver in 1969.
Nadal, who had gone undefeated in his previous 13 finals in Paris and played in his 30th Grand Slam final, got off to a flying start against Ruud, the first Norwegian player to compete in a major final.
He broke for 2-0, and despite giving a break back right away thanks to two unusual double faults, he was back in ahead for 3-1.
The Spaniard won the first round in 49 minutes against a 23-year-old opponent who has been training at his Manacor camp since 2018.
Ruud, the world number eight, had to fend off three break chances in the first game of the second set, despite being the in-form player on clay since the start of 2020 with 66 victories on the surface.
When he broke for 3-1, Nadal coughed up another double fault; there was a ray of hope. On the other hand, Nadal came back with a double break to take the match 4-3.
Ruud survived three-set chances in the ninth game, but Nadal took a two-set lead after his first double fault of the final.
On the eve of the final, Nadal said that he would rather lose the tournament on Sunday in exchange for a new foot.
He was in perfect control against Ruud, galloping away to the championship with three breaks in a third set that did in 30 minutes without having to reach high speed.
With a backhand down the line, Nadal clinched the victory, his 37th in the final.
