French Open 2022: Nadal cherishes 'unforgettable night' after victory over Djokovic

It could have well been the last time 'King of Clay' Rafael Nadal played at the Roland Garros. However, the 13-time French Open champion has not given up his dream of bagging yet another crown in Paris after he knocked out World No.1 Novak Djokovic in their quarter-final clash that ended in the early hours of Wednesday.

The Spaniard took his head-to-head against defending champion Djokovic at Roland Garros to 8-2 with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7/4) win, which finished after 1:00 am local time. Nadal is still on track for a record-extending 22nd men's Grand Slam title and will face third seed Alexander Zverev in the semi-finals on his 36th birthday on Friday.

"In the end, it has been a very emotional night for me. I'm still playing for nights like today. But it's just a quarter-finals match? So I didn't win anything. I just give myself a chance to be back on the court in two days. Playing another semi-final here in Roland Garros means a lot to me," Nadal said.

WATCH: Nadal talks about his win over Djokovic

Taking to Instagram, the Spanish ace also thanked the crowds at Roland Garros. "Always an extreme challenge to play against @djokernole Unforgettable night. Thanks to the crowds, always amazing here in Paris! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🙏🙏," Nadal added.

The match ended in cool conditions under the Court Philippe Chatrier lights, with many fans covering themselves in blankets as the game stretched from May into June. "It is too late, without a doubt. I can't complain because we have two days off now, but if you only have one day off, or like Zverev had in Madrid when he had to play the final the next day, then it's a big issue," said Nadal, who had asked not to play in the night session. "I understand the other part of the business, without a doubt, that television pays a lot of money... We need to find a balance," the Spaniard remarked.

Nadal, who won the Australian Open earlier this year, has struggled with a chronic foot injury in recent weeks. Before his match with Djokovic, he said that it could potentially be his last on the Paris clay. However, the 'King of Clay' muscled his way through to the semi-finals to move two clear of Djokovic and Roger Federer on the all-time list of most men's major titles if he lifts the trophy again on Sunday.

But Nadal played down the importance of the battle between the 'big three'. "From my perspective, it doesn't matter that much. We achieved our dreams. We make history in this sport because we did things that didn't happen before," the Spaniard concluded.