With his 14th French Open Titles, Rafael Nadal won his 22nd overall Grand Slam.
Paris — Rafael Nadal, the King of Clay, wins another Rolland Garros title making it his 14th. He beat Norway’s Casper Ruud in three straight sets 6-3, 6-3, 6-0. On 5th June 2022, he won his 14th title in Paris.
Facing problems with his left foot, he kept on going. He is dealing with chronic pain that has been an on & off problem for years. He didn’t step back despite the hurdles. He won the first set 6-3 but it was Casper Ruud who was ready for a comeback. Ruud led 3-1 against the Spanish Giant in the second set. After that, Nadal appeared unstoppable. Rafa went bizarre and won 11 games straight to win the 2nd & 3rd set along with the French Open. Over the course of the game, he outplayed his opponent. He had 37 winners in comparison to Ruud’s 16. Rafa committed fewer unforced errors, making just 16 to Ruud’s 26.
When he hit the winning down-the-line backhand shot, he chucked his racket to the red clay & covered his face with taped-up fingers on both of his hands. That was the moment. No one has ever won the singles trophy at any major event more than his 14 in Paris. And also he has more Grand Slams than anyone else. He now stretched his lead to two against his rivals Roger Federer & Novak Djokovic.
Nadal has never lost the finals in Paris & by winning his 14th Rolland Garros, he is now the oldest to win the title at the age of 36. Undoubtedly, he is the king of clay. Is this the right time to call him the greatest ever to play the game? What do you think?