Rafael Nadal, 36 years and two days. At age 19, he made his debut Roland Garros succeeds. In his eighteenth participation, without being removed from the top-10 of the world ranking, he is close to signing a new work. The king of clay made the victory in Paris a tradition. But his performance deserves to stop, to reflect on the true scale of play for the fourteenth title in Paris. An unknown domain in tennis.
And it will be a twenty -second Grand Slam trophy, left to the Serbs two Novak Djokovic and the swiss Roger Federer. Match the German record SteffiGraf, watch the american Serena Williams (23) and, why not, the Australian Margaret Court (24).
Nadal has long achieved eternity. But his personal tally will come the day he lowers his racket. An action that was on the table in December, a possibility that it would be carried out abruptly if the pain in his left foot flared up to an unbearable level even for someone he had been with since 2005 and that the pain limit was over in person.
Rafa Nadal endures the illusion of competing in tennis where he feels passion. And he feels capable of winning important contests. He and his team were surprised at the conquest of a second Australian Openafter a six -month break and a positive for covid to further complicate the return. Roland Garros this is his kingdom, where the impossible becomes more attainable. There is a special magic, more resources to deploy. Historically, it has been so.
Neither the picture nor the inadequate preparation accompanied it. The umpteenth injury, more deceptive due to the unexpected because it was a stress crack in a rib, prevented him from Monte Carlo and the Gothic, their ground shuttles. Started at half throttle in Madridtrust Rome and came out lame from another leg rebellion.
Nadal, against the ropes. Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz, as threats to the box, hitting, combining their game. Rafa appears, eating into self -improvement. had a bad time against alexander zverev in the semifinals, and the German had to retreat. Paris loved Nadal, more than ever. It has anonymous support in these parts of the very loose and noisy. Fans know that the chance to see a strange athlete, the Nadalmania from the beginning.
Gimeno’s record
That long career of possibly Roland Garros ’oldest champion, surpassing the record of Andrés Gimeno (34 and 10 months in 1972), he becomes the idol of his younger rivals, such as Casper Ruud, at the age of 23 who made history as the first Norwegian finalist of a Grand Slam. A member of his hero’s academy since 2018, he said he could tell in detail each of the three finals Rafa won in the French capital. Suddenly, he lands on the other side of the net, in his first official confrontation after many trials Manacor.
“It’s not surprising that I’m in the finals. He has one of the best forehands on the tour, he’s a solid top-10. I am happy for him and his family, they are good people ”, commented Rafa Nadal. “It’s better to be proud of my first Grand Slam title, but if not, I can now be proud to be part of a group with Djokovic, Federer or Thiem, that I saw in the finals with Rafa”, Ruud considers.
The king and prince of the land, inside the house?
There is a rain forecast for today, which will close the plant’s roof. Conditions that did not help Nadal against Zverev. “Sometimes he adapts well and sometimes it costs him more. He has his predilections, but he adapts to all of them ”, said Carlos Moyà, one of Rafa’s coaches, who has 62 titles on clay, 111 wins out of 114 in Paris, 473-45 in his career on clay. He is the king.
Since Dominic Thiem is suffering a wrist injury, Casper Ruud has been the leader of clay stats from 2020 to 2022: most wins, 66, leading the finals, 8, and titles, 7, including Buenos Aires and Geneva . Add 10 invincible games
“The tournament champion is at the top of the draw,” Zverev predicted. Nadal could confirm an overview of tennis after the draw. Ruud took advantage of the hole reserved for Tsitsipas, confirming his growth as a player. He celebrated his pass as a title. Rafael, no. is Musketeers Cup all or nothing. An antidote to their physical illness and daily suffering and sacrifice.
Source: La Verdad
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
