Rafael Nadal remains the undisputed King of Clay. Nadal defeated his biggest rival, Novak Djokovic, in straight sets to win a record 13th title at the French Open. The World No.2 finally won his 20th Grand Slam title and equaled Roger Federer‘s record of 20 major championships.
The tennis fraternity went berserk, with Nadal receiving congratulatory messages from across the world. It was the fourth time Nadal had won the French Open without dropping a set during the entire tournament. The Spaniard bageled Djokovic in the opening set, which was the first time Novak lost a set 0-6 in a Grand Slam final.
After the convincing victory, the Roland Garros champion recorded a message for his fans. The video was uploaded by the ‘Rafa Nadal Academy’ on their Twitter account. Nadal was in a jubilant mood and talked about the importance of the French Open in his career.
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“Here I’m back at the hotel after a long and a very happy day. To win here again at Roland Garros means a lot to me. Everybody knows how important is this place for me. Even if the worldwide situation is terrible, it is a super sad feeling to be playing the tournament with only 1000 people in a crowd,” said Nadal.
🗯 @RafaelNadal has a special message for ALL of you!
Rafa tiene un mensaje muy especial para todos vosotros! 😊 pic.twitter.com/11epxDqs95
— Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar (@rnadalacademy) October 11, 2020
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Rafael Nadal terms the victory ‘unforgettable’
The 20-time Grand Slam champion thanked everyone for their support and acknowledged the tough times people were facing because of the pandemic. Moreover, he sent his support to all the people fighting the disease and hoped for a better world in the coming future.
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“For me, it has been an unforgettable day, even if the happiness is not complete because of the tough moments we are experiencing. I just want to say thank you very much to everyone for the support,” added Nadal.
With the empathic win, Nadal extended his head-to-head 18-7 against Djokovic on clay. He will now head to 2021 Australian Open and aim to become the first man in the Open Era to win a double Career Grand Slam.