Rafael Nadal feared that the 2020 French Open title would overtake him | Tennis news

PARIS: Rafael Nadal admitted Sunday that the prospect of winning a 13th open French and bringing his Grand Slam total to a record 20 seemed even beyond his endurance capacity in the run-up to the tournament.
The 34-year-old Spaniard shot down Novak Djokovic 6-0, 6-2, 7-5 to equalize Roger FedererThe greatest male record of all time.
It was his 100th victory at Roland Garros against just two defeats since his debut in 2005, making him the oldest champion in Paris since Andrés Gimeno in 1972.
However, world number two Nadal had arrived in the French capital after playing only one tournament since February, as the lockdown imposed by the coronavirus also led him to skip the US Open, where he had been the defending champion. .

“Honestly, for me, a month and a half ago if you tell me that you’re going to have this trophy with you again, I’ll say, ‘this year will probably be too difficult.’
“Doubts are part of life. For me the doubts are good because it means that you do not consider yourself too good. Of course, the year has been a tough one for everyone.
“But in sports, life can change quickly.”
Nadal has been keenly aware of the challenges posed by the pandemic, claiming on Sunday that his victory was tempered by the crisis that had also limited crowds to just 1,000 people a day at Roland Garros.

“It is an important day for me, but I am not stupid. It is still a very sad situation all over the world. If you ask me what my feeling is, of course I am super happy.”
“On the other hand, I am not as happy as usual because the situation is difficult for most of the people around the world.”
The health situation may also bring the season to a close, which would mean missing out on a chance to win a first ATP final, one of the titles still missing from his 86 career.
“I cannot tell you if I will continue playing or not continue playing for the next few months. I didn’t make up my mind, so I’m not sure if I will continue with the normal schedule or if I will stop playing until next year,” Nadal said.

“I need to calm the situation and analyze the future, because we are facing a difficult situation, as everyone knows.
“In terms of Australia, 14 days of quarantine before the tournament starts. It is time to be smart and make the right decisions.”
On Sunday, Nadal ended the one-sided affair with just 14 unforced errors to Djokovic’s 52 when he defeated the Serb for the third time in the Paris final and the seventh time in total in eight matches at the tournament.

Djokovic, courtesy of his 2015 quarter-final victory, remains just one of two men to have beaten Nadal at Roland Garros since 2005.
“For two and a half sets I played very well. It is impossible to have this score against him without playing very well,” Nadal said.

“Yes, I played a very good final. I played at my highest level when I needed to play at my highest level, which I am very proud of.
“The personal satisfaction is great because given the circumstances that we played this Roland Garros, even if I played an incredible game this afternoon, the conditions are not the conditions that I will choose, never, to play an event like this.”