Mueez Ajao
– Rafael Nadal reclaimed his crown as the king of the French Open, winning a record-extending 14th title by beating Norway’s Casper Ruud in straight sets.
– Spain’s Nadal, 36, won 6-3 6-3 6-0 against eighth seed Ruud to also extend his record number of Grand Slam men’s singles titles to 22.
– He moves two ahead of his great rivals Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.
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– Nadal, who lost to Djokovic in the semi-finals last year, has won 112 of his 115 matches on the Paris clay.
– After also winning the Australian Open in January, Nadal has claimed back-to-back major titles for the first time since 2010 – when he won the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open in a row.
– Two days after his 36th birthday, Nadal becomes the oldest French Open men’s singles champion and surpasses fellow Spaniard Andres Gimeno, who won aged 34 in 1972.
– The left-hander dropped his racquet to the court in amazement after taking his second match point to win in two hours and 18 minutes.
– Nadal’s achievements are even more impressive in the context of the physical issues that have hampered him in recent times.
– At the end of last year the former world number one thought he would have to retire because of a chronic foot problem and was troubled by the issue at the Italian Open earlier this month.
– A stress fracture of the rib also caused him to miss two months of the season shortly after his 21st major win at the Australian Open.
– “It takes a lot of energy to keep going. I want to say ‘merci, merci beaucoup’,” Nadal said after lifting the Coupe des Mousquetaires.
– “I don’t know what will happen in the future but I will keep fighting to keep going.”
