[ad_1]
Rafael Nadal ascended the Paris throne again with an incredible performance, winning this year’s International Tennis Championships in France without dropping a set. The 34-year-old Spanish player won his 20th Grand Slam tournament, catching up with his friend and one of his biggest rivals, Roger Federer.
The Swiss has been dominant for more than 11 years, since his success at Wimbledon in 2009. He then reaped his 15th victory in the GS tournament, ahead of 14-time champion Pete Sampar.
After the fifth Australian Open final, which brought a great match, Federer said he wished he could share his victory with Nadal.
There is no draw in tennis, but today I would have accepted one and shared my victory with Rafa.
Well, not since then, but now with 20-20 GS tournament wins, the two legendary players are right next to each other.
As a man and champion, I have great respect for Rafa, my friend. As my biggest rival for so many years, I feel like we’ve inspired each other to be better players. That is why I am honored to congratulate you on winning your 20th Grand Slam tournament. It is especially surprising that he won for the 13th time at Roland Garros, a great achievement in the sport. Kudos to your team too, as no one can do it alone. I hope the 20th is just one more step and the path for both of us continues
Federer wrote on the social media pages after the final.
Rafael Nadal’s victories in GS in numbers
| Returns | Number of tournaments won |
| australian open | one |
| Roland Garros | 13 |
| Wimbledon | two |
| US Open | 4 |
The Spaniard now really had no reason to be humble.
I played very good tennis. Let’s face it, the game took place in two and a half sets. Good I fought in the final, I managed to play at the highest level when I had to play at the highest level, and for that I am very proud
Nadal said after the final.
Roger Federer’s victories in GS in numbers
| Returns | Number of tournaments won |
| australian open | 6 |
| Roland Garros | one |
| Wimbledon | 8 |
| US Open | 5 |
The atmosphere, of course, was as it was. Only a thousand spectators at the Philippe Chatrier, all wearing a mask, the mood was not the same due to the coronavirus epidemic.
Nadal defeated Djokovics for the 27th time, going 22-24 this year and now has just one win to achieve his 1000th career success. This milestone has been achieved so far by three tennis players: Jimmy Connors (1274), Roger Federer (1242) and Ivan Lendl (1068).
In Australia, Novak passed me by (Djokovics won a set of three shots in 2019 – ed.), But this was my day now. It’s part of the game. I’ve been through a lot in my career, injuries have hampered me … Without a great team and the support of my family, I wouldn’t have been able to do it all.
Said the Spanish.
Djokovic says there is no question why Nadal is the king of scum.
Congratulations to Rafa. It’s amazing what you’re doing on this track. And you are a champion not only here, but everywhere. Once again, he has shown why he is the king of scum. It was a very tough match for me, of course I was not happy with my performance.
– Summarized 52 unforced errors in the Serbian final.
With his victory in the tournament since Andrés Gimeno (1972), Nadal is the oldest player to win a men’s singles at Roland Garros.
Nadal is the first tennis player at the Open to win four Grand Slam tournaments (Roland Garros 2008, 2010, 2017, 2020) without losing a set.
Where is the end?
- Federer hasn’t won a Grand Slam since the 2018 Australian Open, and if we put our hands on our hearts, there might not be more. He’s also battling injuries in the 39-year-old Switzerland who currently ranks fourth in the world rankings, and while he obviously didn’t forget to play tennis, his 21st success would come as a surprise.
- Djokovics has 17 victories in GS tournaments and it is unthinkable for the moment to stop at 20. The Serbian can become the monarch, it will be difficult to find a winner on a difficult track.
- Year after year, the contenders for the throne get closer and closer to the mythical trio, just think of Stefanos Cicipasz’s semi-final against Djokovic a few days ago.
- The eternally fighter Nadal will also arrive in the French capital next year, and if he continues to play as he has done for the last few years, he will not stop at 20 either.
(Cover image: Rafael Nadal on top of Paris / Aurelien Meunier / Getty Images Hungary)
[ad_2]
