Rafael Nadal wins French Open; becomes oldest champion at Roland Garros
Nadal wins the 2022 French Open for his 14th Roland Garros title, adding his 22nd Grand Slam title and becoming the oldest champion in the tournament history.
6-3, 6-3, 6-0.
These are the numbers that added up to 22, as Rafael Nadal extended his lead over Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer in their Grand Slam title race to two, and prevailed over Norwegian Casper Ruud to win Roland Garros for the 14th time.
In the second set, Ruud led 3-1, a shortfall that prompted Nadal to raise his level - he took the last 11 games.
Related: How much was the prize money Rafa Nadal won in the French Open 2022?
Nadal becomes oldest champion at French Open
The 36-year-old Spaniard proved once again to be the king of clay, in addition to becoming the oldest men’s single champion at the French Open in the history of the tournament.
Before, the oldest champion in the Roland Garros had been Andres Gimeno, who was 34 when he won in 1972.
Nadal’s first victory in Paris came in 2005 when he was 19. No player- man or woman- has ever won the singles trophy at any major event more than his 14 in Paris. And no one has won more Grand Slam titles than Nadal.
Nadal: ‘It means a lot to me’
Nadal reflected on his victory post-match, “For me personally, it’s very difficult to describe the feelings that I have,” he said in his on-court interview after the game. “It’s something that I for sure never believed I’d be here at 36, being competitive again, playing in the most important court of my career one more final -- it means a lot to me.”