Rafael Nadal claimed the 14th Roland Garros title last Sunday. Nadal went undefeated in the Paris finals, securing his 22nd Major trophy to pull away from Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer. Billie Jean King was present to present Rafa with 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 withstood all efforts and regained the crown at his beloved Major after losing it to Novak Djokovic a year ago. The Spaniard beat the Serbian in the quarter-finals and reached the title clash when Alexander Zverev retired in the semi-finals after a huge fight.
The first Major finalist, Casper Ruud, stood between Rafa and a 22nd Major title, and the Spaniard did not miss the opportunity to add to his already rich record. Rafa scored a 6-3 6-3 6-0 victory in two hours and 18 minutes for another brilliant run in his beloved Major.
The Norwegian took advantage of a favorable draw to achieve the best result of his career and become the first finalist of a Major in his country. However, he had no chance against Nadal, who broke him eight times out of 16 chances.
Rafa hit 37 winners and 18 unforced errors and pushed his opponent’s backhand to the limit in one of his most partial Roland Garros finals.
Rafa will aim to participate at the Wimbledon Championships
During the interview, Guy Forget was asked if Rafael Nadal’s feats continue to surprise him.
“It doesn’t (just) surprise me, it surprises everyone,” Forget said. “If it had been said a few years ago that someone would win the same Grand Slam tournament 14 times, no one would have believed it. It was impossible to envisage and, the best part, is that it is an ongoing series.”
Forget reckons playing with anesthesia is a better option than playing through pain. “Playing with a sleepy foot is always better than playing with a sore foot,” said the Frenchman. “If his doctors accepted this treatment, it was because they were sure not to put his health in great danger.
What I hope over time is that the pain that haunts him will fade.” Nadal, who also won earlier this year in Australia, is now sitting atop the Majors list with 22 Grand Slams. The Spaniard will aim to participate at the Wimbledon Championships later this month.
Ruud made his way to the final by beating the likes of Marin Cilic and rising star Holger Rune. Unfortunately, Nadal was in scintillating form in their first-ever meeting, taking the match away right from the start.
