Rafael Nadal reclaimed his position as French Open champion, defeating Norway’s Casper Ruud in straight sets to earn a record-extending 14th title.
Nadal, 36, of Spain, defeated eighth seed Ruud 6-3 6-3 6-0 to add to his record of 22 Grand Slam men’s singles wins.
Has Rafael Nadal lost a French Open final?
Nadal cruised to victory by winning the final 11 games in a row.
The King of Clay has only lost three matches in the French Open in his career, going 112-3 with two of them coming against Novak Djokovic, whom he beat in a marathon quarterfinal battle this year.
He is now two points above of Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, his main challengers.
For the first time since 2010, when he won the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open in a row, Nadal has won back-to-back major titles.
Nadal’s performances are even more astounding when seen in the context of his recent physical struggles.
The former world number one felt he’d have to retire at the conclusion of last year due to a chronic foot injury, and he was bothered by it at the Italian Open earlier this month.
