In a one-sided final, 36-year-old Nadal won 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 with victory coming 17 years to the day since he claimed his first French Open as a 19-year-old in 2005.
French Open Final, Rafael Nadal vs Casper Ruud as it happened: Nadal wins 22nd Grand Slam title
Nadal won the last 11 games of the match and is now two Slams ahead of old rivals Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer after Sunday’s victory.
Here are reactions to Nadal’s win:
The Rafael Nadal phenomenon.https://t.co/RGNRaElMei pic.twitter.com/CHRt3txs75
— The Field (@thefield_in) June 5, 2022
King of Clay x 14 👑@RafaelNadal remains undefeated in Paris finals, conquering Casper Ruud 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 for a 14th title#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/GctcC17Ah8
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 5, 2022
The stage is yours again, @RafaelNadal#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/Nhp3e6wrwV
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 5, 2022
Doing Norway proud, @CasperRuud98 🇳🇴#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/rGYjKxBrdn
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 5, 2022
To go out there and win a record 14th @rolandgarros & 22nd Grand Slam at the age of 36 is an incredible achievement.
Congratulations @RafaelNadal! 🏆🎾 pic.twitter.com/MAxsEklfFQ
— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) June 5, 2022
Congratulations on your outstanding achievement @RafaelNadal!
It just goes to show that hard work, passion, and a “never give up” attitude really goes a long way. You have put your time, heart, and soul into this, and your perseverance made this #14. https://t.co/9oe3pfA054
— Stefanos Tsitsipas (@steftsitsipas) June 5, 2022
Simplemente increíble @RafaelNadal! 🏆x14 @rolandgarros 🙌🏻 ENHORABUENA! pic.twitter.com/RjzN2kALUx
— Carlos Alcaraz (@alcarazcarlos03) June 5, 2022
— Stanislas Wawrinka (@stanwawrinka) June 5, 2022
Nadal on clay in his 30s:
-109-11 record (91%)
-5 Roland Garros 🏆 and oldest champion
-40-1 record at Roland Garros
-Streak of 50 sets won in a row
-14-0 in finals
-First man in 40 years to win a Slam going through 4 top 10 in a row
-Has still never lost B2B matches on clay— Trenton Jocz (@TrentonJocz) June 5, 2022
3 – Rafael #Nadal has won consecutive Grand Slam titles for the third time in his career after having done so in 2008 (Roland Garros and Wimbledon) and in 2010 (Roland Garros, Wimbledon and US Open). Back-to-back.#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/DLLfKV74ER
— OptaAce (@OptaAce) June 5, 2022
The King👑 #14
— Aga Radwanska (@ARadwanska) June 5, 2022
Not many PLAYED 14 @rolandgarros tournaments. He won it 14 times. There is no word to describe this feat. Don’t think good old Phillippe would mind if his court changes the name to Rafael Nadal – statue is not enough
— Ivan Ljubicic (@theljubicic) June 5, 2022
I LOVE YOU @RafaelNadal 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 #14 #RolandGarros
— David de Gea (@D_DeGea) June 5, 2022
There are athletes. There are legends. And then there is Rafael Nadal.
What a legend, what an inspiration#RolandGarros
— Prajakta (@18prajakta) June 5, 2022
WOW…simply incredible what we get to witness!!! 14th Title at @rolandgarros for @RafaelNadal 🏆 https://t.co/0Z73TvnetR
— Sabine Lisicki (@sabinelisicki) June 5, 2022
King of clay.
What a Champion.
NADAL
Number 14 at #RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/KAp3aUraoo— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) June 5, 2022
63 – Rafael #Nadal has won 63 titles on clay courts, at least 14 more than any other player in the Open Era (Guillermo Vilas, 49). Garden.#RolandGarros #RolandGarros2022 pic.twitter.com/EVRWeZheEE
— OptaAce (@OptaAce) June 5, 2022
Two incredible 14-0 marks in tennis now:
Nadal in French Open finals.
Venus+Serena in Grand Slam women’s doubles finals.#RolandGarros
— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) June 5, 2022
35/36years-old Rafael Nadal in 2022:
🏆 Melbourne ATP 250
🏆 Australian Open
🏆 Acapulco ATP 500
🥈 Indian Wells Masters 1000
QF Madrid Masters 1000
R3 Rome Masters 1000
🏆 #RolandGarros33 matches, 30 wins
— Gaspar Ribeiro Lança (@gasparlanca) June 5, 2022
Players in Open Era to beat four top 10 players on the way to a Slam title:
Wilander, 1982 at Roland Garros
Federer, 2017 at Australian Open
Nadal, 2022 at Roland Garros— Matthew Willis (@mattracquet) June 5, 2022
Congratulations @RafaelNadal on winning the French Open yet again #RolandGarros
— cheteshwar pujara (@cheteshwar1) June 5, 2022
Most #GrandSlam singles titles at 30-older (Open Era)@DjokerNole 8@RafaelNadal 8@rogerfederer 4@rodlaver 4
Ken Rosewall 4— ATP Media Info (@ATPMediaInfo) June 5, 2022
Most Grand Slam titles
Most French Open titles
Most matches won at one Grand Slam (112)
Only man to win 2+ majors in three different decades
15 years winning 1+ Grand Slam title
83.3% career win rateRafael Nadal – Legend. pic.twitter.com/eK7vG9aXDM
— bet365 (@bet365) June 5, 2022
Even after all this time, it means everything 🫶
Congratulations, @RafaelNadal 💙#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/i7piidcTPB
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) June 5, 2022
Process this .. 20 years ago Sampras won his 14th Slam and was termed the greatest . Today @RafaelNadal won his 14th French Open . #nowords #king #warrior #RolandGaros @rolandgarros #GOAT
— Mahesh Bhupathi (@Maheshbhupathi) June 5, 2022
5th June 2005.
—
5th June, 2022.ONE MAN. RAFAEL NADAL!!!! pic.twitter.com/MJkfmfOSmq
— Janhavi (@JaneForRafffa) June 5, 2022
Overall sets lost during @RafaelNadal‘s 14 title runs @rolandgarros
0 — 2008, 2010, 2017, 2020
1 — 2007, 2012, 2018
2 — 2014, 2019
3 — 2005, 2006, 2011, 2022
4 — 2013— ATP Media Info (@ATPMediaInfo) June 5, 2022
The king @RafaelNadal ❤️❤️💪💪👏👏👏👏🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 https://t.co/ILjCjPqR7S
— Ons Jabeur (@Ons_Jabeur) June 5, 2022
Nadal (Eurosport): “We played with no feeling on the foot. We played with an injection on the nerve…so the foot was asleep, so that’s why I was able to play.”
— Ravi Ubha (@raviubha) June 5, 2022
FOURTEEN!!!!!!! #Rolandgarros take a bow @RafaelNadal .. what an incredible champion and ambassador to our amazing sport 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
— Sania Mirza (@MirzaSania) June 5, 2022
1️⃣4️⃣ apiece 🏆@realmadrid | @RafaelNadal | #RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/NnFX1ppnqK
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) June 5, 2022
More intriguing stats,#Nadal total Slams of 22* is now the cumulative total of #Sampras‘s 14 Slams + #Agassi‘s 8 Slams#Rafa‘s 14 #RolandGarros Slams = Pete’s total Slam count#Rafa‘s 8 non-RG Slams = Andre’s total Slam count #VamosRafa & he said he’ll continue fighting🔥👍
— Kaushik LM (@LMKMovieManiac) June 5, 2022
A modern day Hercules who just will not melt in the hottest Claypot. Starts favourite to make it 15 only. Just insane. Salute forever @RafaelNadal @rolandgarros #Nadal #FrenchOpen pic.twitter.com/XXfMHRgmku
— Ravi Shastri (@RaviShastriOfc) June 5, 2022
#OnThisDay 17 YEARS AGO@RafaelNadal 👑 pic.twitter.com/0278Q8e1BB
— 9-7 in the 5th (@97InThe5th) June 5, 2022
@RafaelNadal – 14!!!!!
That’s the tweet. #speechless— Martina Navratilova (@Martina) June 5, 2022
An update on the foot and the future#RolandGarros | @RafaelNadal pic.twitter.com/kFjZsiHjKH
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 5, 2022
Nadal, the oldest winner in Paris since a 34-year-old Andres Gimeno in 1972, had not been certain of taking part after a chronic left foot injury, which has plagued him throughout his career, flared up again.
He also needed the best part of a gruelling 12 hours to see off Felix Auger-Aliassime, Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev in the previous three rounds.
His two-hour 18-minute win on Sunday took his record at the tournament to 112 wins against just three losses and also put him halfway to a rare calendar men’s Grand Slam last achieved by Rod Laver in 1969.
Nadal, unbeaten in 13 previous finals in Paris and playing in his 30th Grand Slam decider, got off to a flying start against Ruud, the first Norwegian man to feature in a championship match at the majors.
He broke for 2-0 and even though he handed the break straight back courtesy of a two uncharacteristic double faults, he was quickly back in front again for 3-1.
The Spaniard wrapped up the opener in 49 minutes against his 23-year-old opponent who has trained at his academy in Manacor since 2018.
World No 8 Ruud, the in-form player on clay since the start of 2020 with 66 wins on the surface, was under siege again in the second set, having to fight off three break points in the opening game.
There was a sudden glimmer of hope when he broke for 3-1 with Nadal again coughing up a double fault. However, Nadal roared back with a double break for 4-3.
Ruud saved three set points in the ninth game but his first double fault of the final handed Nadal a two-set lead.
Nadal had said on the eve of the final that he would rather lose Sunday’s match in exchange for a new foot.
However, without needing to hit top gear, he was in complete control against Ruud, racing away to the title with three breaks in a third set which was over in 30 minutes.
Nadal sealed the win with a backhand down the line, his 37th winner of the final.
Inputs from AFP
