Nadal beats Djokovic to win Roland Garros, 20th slam

Fifteen years after his first success in Paris, a monstrous Rafael Nadal wins Roland Garros for the thirteenth time by beating world number 1 Novak Djokovic in a final without history (6-0 6-2 7-5 the score). A historic success that allows the Mallorcan to reach 20 Slams won and crown the chase of Roger Federer who had reached 20 Slams by winning the 2018 Australian Open. Rafa was simply perfect, athletically unsurpassed and brave as always. Nole, on the other hand, lacked the push in his legs, the security in the rebound shots that Rafa deactivated, especially on the backhand side. For the fourth time in his career, Rafa wins Roland Garros without losing a set: it also happened in 2008, 2010 and 2017. A simply monstrous champion who is still hungry for victory.

the first set

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Djokovic’s first game and first winning short ball, which is then overcome by playing a great point with a short ball, a balloon and a final backhand volley. Rafa, however, is certainly not looking and with a spectacular cross backhand catches his rival with the advantages and then takes the first break point of the match by winning another exciting exchange. Nole does not close the smash and then fails with the backhand for Rafa’s break. Nole seems to do more things, but Rafa is irresistible in the diagonals from behind, confirms the advantage for 2-0 and then with a double fault from the Serbian he reaches the double ball to overcome the 3-0. In the first Nole makes the muffled pattern, lob and passerby, in the second he puts the reverse on the net and the Spaniard is already in the race alone. Rafa moves better than the Serbian, makes fewer mistakes and always chooses the best solution; With a counter ball, Nole takes advantage and even reaches the break that Rafa cancels. Three screaming exchanges for a sci-fi match, which ended with Rafa’s ace in the middle for a 4-0 win. They are all very close matches, but with the reverse turbo Rafa the alien rises 5-0. And for the 12th time in his career (the second against Rafa after 6-0 4-6 6-1 in the final of Rome 2019) Nole suffers a 6-0; and in six of these times he managed to win the match. It is since 2008, from the Nadal-Federer 6-1 6-3 6-0 final, that Paris did not have a final with a 6-0 set.

same music

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The second set opens with 3 break points for Rafa that Nole cancels with his teeth. Now the Serbian moves better, hits better and the ball spins faster. The world number 1 is missing the first serve and in response is not the usual player that everyone knows. At 1-1 of the second, for the fifth consecutive serve round, Nole concedes the break ball that he cancels by hitting two lines: first the hallway and then the back. But in the long run he pays for the mistakes with the forehand and Rafa’s defense that makes the break going forward 2-1. An overly passive Djokovic gives the Majorcan the ball 4-1 that he cancels with the first ace of the match, but Nadal makes a spectacular point by recovering a short ball that offers him a new break point. The tape widens Djokovic’s right and the Spaniard flies forward 6-0 4-1. On the legs Rafa is very fast, the Serbian cannot contain him and is 5-1 down. After an hour and 26 minutes, Nole serves to stretch a lost set. He succeeds, but at 5-2 Rafa keeps the bar at 30 closing in the third set point. The final seems absolutely downhill.

the end

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Djokovic’s bell, that of the last lap, that of the hour or never, rings at the beginning of the third set. The ball of the game is always in the hands of the Spaniard who in the third game has the ball to make the break that Nole cancels. Now the Serbian seems to have grown a bit, trying to put Nadal in difficulty, who takes out one of the first winning shock absorbers. The Spaniard has the ribbon at 30 and in the next game he snatches the ribbon to zero from an increasingly smaller Djokovic. Nole’s reaction comes in the sixth game when he forces Nadal to play a break point, the first of the fifth game of the first set. Rafa, on the other hand, passes, recovers a break point and forces the Serbian to make a mistake. There is still a break point for Nole and this time it is the backhand counterattack that gives the first break of the match to the Serbian who grabs the opponent in 3 all. Djokovic screams all his rage for the first time in the match, goes up 4-3, but Rafa remains glued to him. The game gets louder and incandescent. With 4 even, Rafa reaches the ball that would send him to serve for the game but is attacked by Nole who holds and goes up 5-4. On 5 equal Djokovic loses the drive, commits a double fault at the break point and Nadal, at 2 hours and 38 minutes is going to take out for the game. Nole has already left 5:51 PM Rafa scores the ace that gives him the Slam number 20. In the 13 finals won by Nadal in Paris, the Spaniard lost 16 games against Puerta, 17 against Federer in 2006, 16 against Federer in 2007 , 4 against Federer in 2008, 10 against Soderling, 19 against Federer in 2011, 18 against Djokovic in 2012, 7 against Ferrer, 17 against Djokovic in 2014, 6 against Wawrinka, 9 against Thiem from 2018, 12 against Thiem from 2019 and now only 9 against Djokovic.