Rafael Nadal demolished Novak Djokovic 6-0, 6-2, 7-5 to win his 13th French Open and equal Roger Federer’s all-time record of 20 Grand Slam title on Sunday.
Nadal, 34, claimed his 100th match win at Roland Garros against just two defeats since his 2005 debut. The Spaniard, the oldest champion in Paris since Andres Gimeno in 1972, claimed the title without dropping a set. He finished the one-sided affair with just 14 unforced errors to his opponent’s 52.
“Congrats to Novak for another great tournament. Sorry for today. We’ve played plenty of times together – one day one wins, another the other,” said Nadal.
“After all the things I have been through in my career with injuries, I could not have done it without my family.”
Nadal said he wasn’t even thinking about matching Federer’s record. “It’s been a very tough year. Winning here means everything to me so it’s not about equalling Roger on 20, for me today it’s just a Roland Garros victory.
“Roland Garros means everything to me. I spent most of the most important moments of my tennis career here. Just playing here is a true inspiration. The love story I have with this court and city is unbelievable.”
Conventional wisdom suggested that would favour Djokovic but Nadal broke three times in the 45-minute opening set. The Spaniard hit 10 winners and just two unforced errors.
