Rafael Nadal Goes Down in History With 9th French Open Championship; 'King of Clay' Ties Pete Sampras
Rafael Nadal proved yet again why he is the 'King of Clay,' and ultimately the best tennis player in the world. It took 4 sets and three hours and thirty-minutes for Nadal to score his 9th French Open Championship.
Nadal went up against the number No. 2 player in the world, Novak Djokovic. Initially Djokovic looked like he could dethrone the king by winning the first set by a commanding 6-3 margin. Nadal fought back in the second set pushing Djokovic to a 6-5 score, with Djokovic serving for a tiebreaker. A baby started crying in the stands and Djokovic double faulted and proceeded to lose the next three points.
After the crucial second set the momentum of the match shifted into Nadal's corner. Nadal opened up a 3-0 lead and during the changeovers Djokovic could be seen with an iced towel over his head. Djokovic sluggishly lobbed a forehand out of play and proceeded to vomit on the court. Nadal took the third set 6-2.
During the fourth set Djokovic claimed to be feeling better but his play didn't reflect it. Frustration mounted and on a Nadal drop shot Djokovic smashed his racket into the court. On championship point Djokovic once again double faulted and the match was over.
Nadal now has 14 grand slam titles tying Pete Sampras for the second on the all-time list. At 28-years old Nadal is the second youngest player to reach the 14-title mark behind only Roger Federer who has a record 17 grand slam titles.
With Nadal's French Open victory he improved his overall match record at Roland Garros to 66-1. It's safe to say that Nadal is undefeatable when playing on its red-clay surface.
Nadal also improved his lifetime record against Djokovic to 22-19. The two have become the leading figures in Men's Tennis as their matches always draw the biggest crowds. Having a great rivalry between the No.1 and 2 players in the world is a great thing for tennis.
The world will be watching as Nadal seeks to break Federer's all time record in the coming years. Federer is five-years older than Nadal and seems to be on the downside of his career. Nadal in the past has had troubles with his knees, but so long as he is able to maintain his health, he may be remembered as the greatest tennis star of all time.