Nadal ties Federer, sets numerous other records with French Open victory

Rafael Nadal.
(Image credit: MARTIN BUREAU/AFP via Getty Images)

Rafael Nadal defeated his longtime rival, the top-seeded Novak Djokovic 6-0, 6-2, 7-5 to win his 13th French Open singles title, extending a record he set years ago and further solidifying him as one of the sport's all-time great performers.

It was a history-making kind of day for the Spaniard. The victory means the 34-year-old Nadal has tied another contemporary, Roger Federer, for the most Grand Slam titles in a career with 20. The "King of Clay," so-called because of his dominance on the surface, is now the oldest Roland-Garros champion since 1972. It's been 15 years since he won his first grand slam in Paris in 2005, marking the longest span between a male professional tennis player's first and latest Grand Slam victories.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Sign up
Latest Videos FromThe Week
Explore More
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.

Explore your latest briefing

Explore your latest briefing