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Nadal appeared in oversized
© APA (AFP)
This performance in the final of the French Open against the world number 1 will be remembered for a long time not only by the two protagonists, but also by tennis fans: Rafael Nadal played perhaps his best match at 34 years old, especially in sets one and two: 6: 0.6: 2.7: 5 against Novak Djokovic (SRB). The Spaniard won his thirteenth French Open title despite changing conditions such as cold fall weather and a new brand of ball that is not adapting to his effect.
It also means that Nadal caught up with Roger Federer and has now won 20 major titles. The Swiss immediately complimented them respectfully. “Our positive relationship means a lot to me because we have had a great rivalry for a long time,” said Nadal, delighted by the congratulations. Nadal is in pole position to become the “best of all time” in terms of big wins. Federer, who turns 40 in 2021, won’t have much of a chance to win another of the four Grand Slam tournaments. And Djokovic, still 17, has three wins “behind.”
The crisis of the crown has changed everything globally, also in tennis: Great restrictions for the players, in front of a handful of fans, masks and hygiene measures and also very little practice of play for the king of clay, Nadal. And above all for Nadal, who hates change, whose drinks always have to be at a certain distance from the square, who does not enter any line, the starting position in his “converted” living room was very difficult. But once king, “always” king. If this time also in the award ceremony with pink mouth and nasal protection with his own silhouette on it.
The 34-year-old Mallorcan showed it impressively: not only in his perhaps best match, but also by winning the title without losing a single set. The humble Nadal admitted: “I played very well for two and a half sentences. I can’t say anything else. You can’t have a result like that against him if you don’t.”
The Asturian clearly answered the question about the main record, which Nadal liked to downplay. “I never hid the fact that I would like to finish my career with the most slams. But I have to do it my way. I don’t think about it all the time, Novak won there, Roger won there. You can’t always be unhappy because the neighbor has the biggest house, the biggest boat or the best phone. ”Nadal says You have to live your own life.
“I had doubts before the tournament, the preparation was not ideal,” Nadal said again at the end. “But doubts are good, they help to be humble. My self-confidence grew day by day.”
With 20 Grand Slam titles (13 in Paris, 4 in New York, 2 at Wimbledon and 1 in Melbourne), it doesn’t have to be the same for a fit Nadal. No later than the Grand Slam, but one, again in Paris in less than eight months, will once again be the top seed.
The bottom, at least 17-time Major winner, Novak Djokovic, praised Nadal. “He’s phenomenal. He played a perfect match, especially in the first two sets,” the 33-year-old Serbian said respectfully.
Nadal doesn’t even know how things will go with him. Because if he declared the white spot on his success card, an ATP Finals title, as a goal, he couldn’t answer that. “I don’t know what my next game plan will be. I haven’t decided yet whether to continue playing the normal schedule or to take a hiatus until next year.”
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