Spanish tennis sensation Rafael Nadal created history, as he won the French Open for the record-extending 13th time. He beat world number one Novak Djokovic of Serbia in straight sets, in the final of the event, in Paris, on Sunday.
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In the process, Nadal also scripted history by winning his 20th Grand Slam title, as he equalled Roger Federer's record. Notably, it was also his 100th singles win in the tournament.
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As for the match, it was expected to be a tough encounter. However, Djokovic was under pressure right from the beginning. Nadal's lethal backhand, following by his already dangerous forehand, saw him take the opening set 6-0.
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Djokovic did manage to fight back in the second set but faced tough competition from Nadal, who was relentless, as the latter won 6-2. The Serbian upped his ante in the third set, making it 5-5. However, missing his mark by a millimetre, the Spaniard earned the sole break of the set to win his 13th title at Roland Garros.
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As for other records from the match, this was the ninth slam meeting between the two, equalling the feat of Nadal and Federer. This was also the second-most meeting (3) between the two in the final of this tournament, while the record of the same is held by Nadal-Federer (4). Also, this was the record-extending 27th tour-level final between the two.
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“Winning here means everything to me. It’s not the moment to think about the 20th [Grand Slam] title to equal Roger. For me, today it’s about the Roland Garros victory. It means everything to me. Most of the most important moments of my career have been here. I love this city and this court," said Nadal after the win.
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“In Australia, [Novak] killed me, but today was for me. That’s part of the game. After all the things I have been through in my career, in terms of injuries, without a great team and family around me, everything will be impossible. I want to send a message to everyone around the world. We are facing one of the worst moments we can remember fighting against this virus. [We] just need to keep going, stay positive and we’ll get through this together," added Nadal.
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