Rafael Nadal defeated Casper Ruud at Roland Garros on Sunday, June 5, to win his 14th French Open championship and increase his Grand Slam record to 22.
On Court Philippe Chatrier, the 36-year-old Spanish sports icon demolished the Norwegian 6-3 6-3 6-0.
Rafael Nadal wins his 14th French Open title after defeating Casper Ruud.
Since his debut in 2005, Nadal has only lost three matches at Roland Garros (hence his tag as the king of clay court). He'd been dealing with injuries, so speculation about his retirement was rampant before the game.
But in their first competitive meeting, he swept over Ruud, putting him two titles ahead of great rivals Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.
Rafael Nadal wins his 14th French Open title after defeating Casper Ruud.
Nadal remarked after winning the tournament:
"It's tough for me to put into words the sentiments I'm experiencing," he stated.
"I never imagined I'd be here at 36, competitive again, playing in a final on the most significant court of my career."
"It means the world to me." Trying to keep going takes a lot of energy. I simply want to say 'thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you
"I don't know what the future holds, but I'm going to keep fighting to see if I can keep going."
"This is my first time," Ruud stated, "so let's see how I do." The first and most important thing to do is congratulate Rafa on his achievement.
"This is your 14th Grand Slam appearance, and your 22nd overall. We all know you're a champion.