Infinity Rafa Nadal . The Majorcan champion at the age of 36 just turned two days ago wins his 14th Roland Garros paving the Norwegian Casper Ruud , number 8 in the world, in the final.
Poor Ruud has never been in the game, he was unable to find countermeasures to the hook right of a practically perfect Nadal, who wanted to not miss yet another appointment with history: 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 the score.
Nadal with the 22nd Grand Slam further separates Federer and Djokovic, tied second in the all time ranking with 20 majors each.
And immediately after the triumph denied the rumors of retirement, many said that due to the foot problems this would be his last Roland Garros: " I still have a lot of energy, I want to keep fighting ," he said.
A tournament in continuous progression that of Rafa, in what is perhaps one of the least expected Slams among those won also due to the physical conditions of the Spanish tennis player, which were not the best. At the opening bars, Djokovic seemed in better shape, the other big favorite given the triumph in Rome. Furthermore, Nadal had been out for almost two months due to injury before returning to Madrid and Rome with results and play not yet at his level.
In the round of 16 he suffered almost 4 and a half hours and five sets to beat the Canadian Auger Aliassime , in the quarters he won the great challenge with Novak Djokovic , four sets and 4 hours and 12 minutes of play. Then Alexander Zverev in the semifinals, did not even finish the second set but remained on the field for three hours: the match, very hard fought, ended with the German's dramatic injury when Rafa had won the first 7-6 and was about to begin. the tie break of the second.
And then the final, where Nadal raised the bar further, leaving no way out for Ruud, author of an excellent tournament, who also suffered psychologically his first Grand Slam final and the challenge to an infinite champion, who on the land of Paris did not rivals.
And so, at the end of two hours and 20 minutes of pure formality, Nadal throws the winning backhand and can rejoice for the 14th time at Roland Garros. A record that will probably never be beaten, not even in the slightest .
(Unioneonline / L)