Nadal takes 3rd straight French Open crown, his 12th overall

Rafael Nadal.
(Image credit: Julian Finney/Getty Images)

There might not be any certainties in life, but Rafael Nadal, the so-called "King of Clay," winning the French Open is about as close it comes.

Nadal, the No. 2 ranked men's tennis player in the world, captured his record 12th French Open title on Sunday after defeating No. 4-ranked Dominic Thiem in four sets. The 33-year-old Nadal, who hails from Spain, not only holds the most French Open titles ever, he is closing in on Roger Federer's record for most major titles in men's tennis history. Federer has 20, Nadal now has 18.

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Tim O'Donnell

Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.