On Sunday Rafael Nadal won his 14th title at the French Open. A number that seems almost unbelievable. The finale became a one-man show. His impressive record in Paris in singles matches – 112:3. The Spaniard only lost three games in the course of his career in the clay court classic.
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The 36-year-old almost swept over his opponent, the Norwegian Casper Ruud, 6: 3, 6: 3, 6: 0. The left-hander only wobbled at the beginning of the second round – to subsequently decide the remaining eleven games of the match in his favour. His vest remains flawless in the Roland Garros final: 14 wins in 14 games. Despite the fact that Nadal has been struggling with foot pain for years.
Nadal continues to hunt for records: Despite foot pain, the Spaniard is not yet thinking about quitting
The so-called Müller-Weiss syndrome plagues the world-class player. The pain comes and goes. Before the final he was asked whether he would rather be completely healthy or win his 14th title. “I’d rather lose Sunday’s final and get a new foot for it,” was Nadal’s unequivocal reply.
The result on Sunday was also clear – in favor of Nadal. Although the Spaniard, as he himself said, played “with a stunned foot”. The nerves were blocked, said the 36-year-old. With the help of a new therapy, Nadal hopes that he can get the pain under control. “It’s obvious that I can’t go on like this, and I don’t want to either,” the veteran knows.
Nevertheless, instead of just stopping and putting the racket in the corner, Nadal is continuing to improve his status as possibly the best player of all time. This year alone, after a seven-month injury break, he won both previous major titles (Australian Open, French Open).
Tennis icon Nadal surpasses his eternal competitors Djokovic and Federer
After the final, Nadal did not completely rule out participating in Wimbledon: “When my body is ready for Wimbledon, I will be in Wimbledon. If not, then not.” The Spaniard doesn’t want to give his body a long break.
The will and ambition are still there in excess even after 22 Grand Slam titles. The lead over his long-term competitors Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic has increased, both have won 20 Grand Slams to date.
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“I don’t know what can happen in the future, but I will keep fighting to stay competitive,” Nadal said in his Paris victory speech.
If a Rafael Nadal says he will keep fighting, the competition should keep the Spaniard on their toes in the coming months. Very few bookmakers would give up bets on Nadal winning his last Grand Slam title on Sunday.
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