Nadal beats Ruud to emerge champion of French Open for 14th time

Rafael Nadal has emerged as the champion of the 2022 French Open after beating Casper Ruud in the men’s final in Paris on Sunday.

The Spaniard won 6-3 6-3 6-0 against eighth seed Ruud to also extend his record number of Grand Slam men’s singles titles to 22.

With the triumph, Nadal moves two Slam titles ahead of his great rivals Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.

Two days after his 36th birthday, Nadal becomes the oldest French Open men’s singles champion and surpasses fellow Spaniard Andres Gimeno, who won aged 34 in 1972.

Read Also: Nadal knocks Djokovic out of French Open in epic Q’final match

Nadal and Ruud were watched on by royalty from their respective nations, with Spain’s King Felipe sitting next to Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway, on the front row.

“We know you’re a great champion and I got to feel what it is like to play against you in a final. I am not the first victim,” Ruud told Nadal in his runners-up speech.

Nadal said: “For me personally, it is very difficult to describe the feelings that I have. It’s something that I never believed; I would be here at 36, being competitive again, playing in the most important court of my career one more time in a final.

“It means everytrhing to me. It means a lot of energy to try to keep going. I just want to say merci, merci beaucoup.”

In the women’s singles final at the weekend, top seed Iga Swiatek defeated Coco Gauff in straight sets to win her second Grand Slam title.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now