Rafael Nadal defeated Norwegian Casper Ruud in straight sets on Sunday to win his 14th French Open trophy and record-breaking 22nd Grand Slam title at Roland Garros.
Nadal revealed after his 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 victory that he took an injection to numb his ailing foot for Sunday’s final. He said “The preparation was not ideal,” as he had a stress fracture of the rib and a prolonged foot pain caused by Mueller-Weiss syndrome, and that a doctor was with him throughout the match.
During the match-winning ceremony, Nadal expressed his gratitude to his family and support team for helping him, for without them, he would have retired long back. Nadal is expected to visit a specialist next week to undergo new treatment for his foot pain. If the new procedure is successful, he will play Wimbledon, a tournament that he loves dearly and would not want to miss. Rafael stated he wasn’t sure what the future holds for him but would keep fighting to keep going.
With 22 grand slam titles and 14, Roland Garros wins to become the oldest champion in the history of the tournament, Nadal is not only the ”King of Clay” but also the “King of tennis”.
