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(CNN) – In this unusual and surreal 2020, Rafael Nadal carved out a remarkable piece of history by reaching a milestone 20 in terms of tennis.
More specifically, winning a 20th Grand Slam title to equal the all-time men’s record of his partner and fellow “Big Three” Roger Federer.
He did so by beating the other member of the elite group, Novak Djokovic, 6-0 6-2 7-5, in the final of the French Open under the roof at Philippe Chatrier Court in the cold autumn afternoon.
Nadal fell to his knees after an ace in championship point in what was a surprisingly uneven conclusion of the fortnight.
But this is indeed Nadal on clay. He said the new tournament balls and the cool weather do not favor his heavy play of effects: the coronavirus pandemic prompted organizers to move the event from its usual start to the end of May, but the 34-year-old Spaniard overcame different conditions. to tell. 13th Roland Garros crown and 100th victory in the southwest of Paris.
“I don’t think of the 20th today to match Roger in this great number,” he said as he addressed the crowd. “For me, this is just a Roland Garros victory. Roland Garros means everything to me.
“I spent here the most important moments, or most of the most important moments of my tennis career, there is no doubt about that. Just playing here is a true inspiration and the love story I have with this city and with this court is unforgettable. “. “
Later, at his press conference, however, Nadal did reflect on tying up the Swiss brand.
“I’m excited and of course it’s something that means a lot to me,” he said. “At the same time, sharing this record between us, who had such an incredible rivalry for so long, is something beautiful in a way that I really believe. Let’s see what’s happening.”
Federer was quick to congratulate Nadal on Twitter.
“I have always had the utmost respect for my friend Rafa as a person and as a champion,” wrote Federer, recovering from a knee injury. “As my biggest rival over the years, I think we’ve pushed each other to be better players.
“It is therefore a true honor for me to congratulate him on his 20th grand slam victory. It is especially surprising that he has won Roland Garros 13 incredible times, which is one of the greatest achievements in the sport.”
Nadal elevated his game to overtake his conqueror in his only warm-up tournament, Diego Schwartzman, in the semifinals before moving up another notch on Sunday, leading to high praise from Djokovic.
‘All the superlatives you can use’
“I admire all his achievements,” said Djokovic, one of only two players to beat Nadal at the French Open. “Especially the one here. It’s an impressive score and results and records that he has on this court.
“Winning 13 times, yeah, there’s not much you can say. All the superlatives you can use, he deserves it.”
Nadal compiled 31 healthy winners with just 14 unforced errors to give the 17 Grand Slam winner the worst loss in any of his 27 Grand Slam finals. It also prevented Djokovic from becoming the first man in the Open Era to win each of the majors at least twice.
“In Australia he killed me a couple of times ago,” Nadal said, referring to a two-hour beating in the final of the 2019 Australian Open. “Today was clear to me. We played many times together. One day one wins, another. the other day wins. “
The most prolific rivalry in men’s tennis now stands at 29-27 with Djokovic.
Nadal has never lost a French Open final, but Djokovic certainly presented danger.
He had won his last three Grand Slam matches and they were a serious blow to Nadal, even in the quarter-finals at Roland Garros five years ago.
The Serbian had only suffered defeat in one match in 2020, that flaw at the US Open last month against Pablo Carreño Busta, and benefited from more accumulation matches in the past two months than his rival.
Djokovic dealt with neck and shoulder problems in his rematch with Carreño Busta on Wednesday and one couldn’t help but wonder if something was bothering the world No. 1 again.
Rare 6-0 loss
He lost a set 6-0 in a major for the fourth time in his grand slam career according to the Tennis Abstract website and, although Djokovic has used the drop shot extensively on clay, he attempted a four in the first game. alone.
His unforced error count shot up to 52.
But Djokovic said nothing was wrong, while the throws were a tactic to try to interrupt the rhythm of his enemy.
“Everything was fine,” he said. “I was ready for this match. It’s just that they overdid me. I was beaten by a guy who was perfect today. Especially the first two sets. That’s it. I will find absolutely no other justification for this loss.”
He broke 40-15 in the opening game to give Nadal the best possible start in front of the limited number of fans in attendance. They were capped at 1,000 due to the ongoing pandemic, and tennis players are now used to competing behind closed doors or in front of small numbers.
Nadal skipped the US Open due to concerns about the virus and to prepare for the French Open.
“I don’t forget how difficult the situation is in the world,” he said. “I really hope the situation improves very soon.”
The finalists traded several lengthy rallies that saw both well outside the doubles lines, with Nadal routinely coming out ahead.
After the second set ended, it was clear that Djokovic would not be the first man in 83 attempts to come back from two sets against Nadal at Roland Garros, with an inevitable break resulting in 2-2 in the third.
However, it was not easy from there.
Djokovic resistance
Nadal broke for the first time and Djokovic got the crowd going with his emphatic celebration.
He began a brief revival when he took a 4-3 lead.
Djokovic was now moving better and taking shots, although Nadal met the challenge and yelled “let’s go” to wait 4-4. Finally, it was a contest.
Briefly.
Djokovic defended himself from a break point thanks to a valiant second serve, backhand combination, but broke at 5-5 on an open double fault.
Nadal then served it to love, crowning the historic contest with the open ace.
“A month and a half ago, if you told me you’re going to have this trophy with you again, I’d say, ‘This year will probably be too difficult,'” Nadal said. “In sports, life changes quickly.”
But at the French Open, Nadal has been a constant in his greatness.
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