'I am not his first victim' - This was what Casper Ruud said after his loss to Rafa Nadal in the finals of the French Open 2022. To be honest, he couldn't have put it any better. We too have run out of adjectives to describe Nadal and his greatness.
Casper Ruud did show some moments of brilliance, but Rafa as usual proved to be just too good. At 36 years of age, Nadal became the oldest player to win the French Open title. It is also his 22nd Grand Slam.
The match lasted for two hours and 18 minutes, and that was all it took for Nadal to beat Ruud.
It is worth noting that Nadal did not face Ruud in the tournament before, but, since Ruud is a product of Rafael Nadal Academy in Mallorca, Spain, Nadal has practised with him several times.
Here is a list of records that Nadal made after winning vs Ruud
- He broke the record of late Andres Gimenoto to be the oldest Roland Garros men’s singles champion in history. Andres created the record at an age of 34 years in 1972.
- He won the French Open and Australian Open in the same year for the first time.
- He swept the French Open trophy for the 14th time, and will it is his record-extending 22nd Grand Slam title.
- He will equal his lowest ranking as a Grand Slam champion. He was also No. 5 at the French Open 2005 and the Australian Open 2022.
