Spanish tennis champion, Rafael Nadal has equaled long-time rival Federer for the most major singles tennis championships won by a man.
This victory was also an addition to his own record at Roland Garros with No. 13 on the red clay, courtesy of a surprisingly dominant 6-0, 6-2, 7-5 victory over the No. 1-ranked Djokovic.
“What you are doing in this court is unbelievable. Not just this court — throughout your entire career, you’ve been a great champion,” Djokovic told Nadal during the trophy presentation. “Today you showed why you are King of the Clay.”
When Nadal closed the match with an ace, he fell to his knees, smiled widely and pumped his arms in victory. It’s the fourth time he has won his favorite tournament without ceding a set.
“The love story that I have with this city, and with this court, is unforgettable,” Nadal said.
He smartly avoided a question during the on-court postmatch interview about catching Federer, saying his focus remained squarely on the French Open.
“[To] win here means everything to me, no? It’s not the moment, honestly … [to] think today about the 20th,” Nadal said. “Roland Garros means everything to me. I spent, here, the most important moments — or most of the most important moments — in my tennis career, no doubt about that.”
Nadal, No. 2 in the rankings, improved to 100-2 at the French Open, including a combined 26-0 in semifinals and finals, and picked up his fourth consecutive title in Paris.
The 34-year-old spaniard previously put together streaks of four French Open championships from 2005 to 2008, then five in a row from 2010 to ’14, to go alongside his four trophies at the US Open, two at Wimbledon and one at the Australian Open.
Nadal is now at par with Federer for the first time since each man had zero Slams to his name in 2003. Federer’s first arrived at Wimbledon that year; Nadal, naturally, earned his first in France in 2005, by which point he trailed 4-0.
Federer reacted to Nadal’s win on Twitter, congratulating his “greatest rival.”
“I have always had the utmost respect for my friend Rafa as a person and as a champion,” Federer said in his post. “As my greatest rival over many years, I believe we have pushed each other to become better players. Therefore, it is a true honor for me to congratulate him on his 20th Grand Slam victory.
“… I hope 20 is just another step on the continuing journey for both of us. Well done, Rafa. You deserve it.”
— Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) October 11, 2020
Djokovic’s loss left him at 17 majors; had he won, the trio’s standings would have read 20-19-18.
“It’s honestly a pleasure — in some ways it’s a pleasure — sharing this great era of tennis together,” Nadal said. “On the other hand, [there] have been tough battles for a long time.”
Nadal is the oldest French Open champion since 1972, and the more than 15 years between his first and most recent Grand Slam titles is the longest such span for a man.
This was the 56th time Nadal faced Djokovic, the most meetings between any pair of men in the professional era, and their ninth in a Grand Slam final, equaling Nadal vs. Federer.
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