Spain's Rafael Nadal kisses the trophy after winning the final match against Norway's Casper Ruud in three sets, 6-3, 6-3, 6-0, at the French Open tennis tournament in Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France, Sunday, June 5, 2022. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)Rafael Nadal vs Casper Ruud French Open Final Highlights: Rafael Nadal beat Casper Ruud 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 in the French Open final for his 14th championship at Roland Garros and 22nd Grand Slam title overall, adding to two records he already owned. Nadal won the last 11 games after trailing 3-1 in the second set. Nadal’s victory Sunday came two days after his 36th birthday and made him the oldest title winner in the history of the clay-court tournament.
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Live Blog
Casper Ruud: The former Rafa Nadal Academy trainee with a sledgehammer forehand
Merci, merci beaucoup. First of all, Casper, it’s a real pleasure to play with you a final here in Roland Garros. You are great. I want to congatulate you for an amazing career you are having.
Especially these two weeks, I think it is a very important step forward. I am very very happy for you and your family and your team. I wish you all the very best for the future.
I have to follow with my team, my family, everybody. It is completely amazing, the things that are happening this year.
I can thank you very very much for all the things you are doing with me and did over all of the years. Without you none of this would be possible. For me personally it is very tough to describe the feelings that I have, it’s something I never believed I would be here at 36 being competitive, one more final. it means everything to keep going.
I want to say merci, merci, beaucoup. For me it’s incredible. I don’t know what can happen in the future but I will fight to keep going.
Up comes Nadal and lifts the trophy for the 14th time. There’s a huge smile on his face. Then comes the Spanish national anthem.
"The first thing, the most important thing, is to congratulate Rafa. It’s the 14th time, your 22nd. We all know what a champion you are. Today I got to feel what it is to play you in a final. I’m not the first victim, there have been many before. We all hope you will continue for some time....Hopefully next year I can learn some French, and I will try. I can’t wait to come back. Thank you and merçi."
Another game and Nadal is 30-0 up. What a backhand volley by Nadal but the return hits the net. Set point for Nadal now. All over. Nadal wins 14th French Open and 22nd Grand Slam.
Nadal is 30-0 up in a flash. Ruud looks out of his depth in this set but manages to get 15 on the board. Another shot as Nadal places it for easy pickings. Absolute domination. Ruud seems starstruck. Out again. Nadal wins this one.
Nadal leads again as Ruud's backhand fails to cross the net. Ruthless from Nadal as he looks shellshocked as Nadal wins his 9th game in a row.
Another drop shot by Ndal. Ruud scurries it back only for Nadal to smash it beyond him. Different level. What a shot by Ruud. Almost a backhand. No reply for Nadal. Shot of the match. Nothing doing from Nadal as a vicious forehand levels the game up. He is just getting a lot of time to place the ball and Ruud has no answer to the winners. This is done too. Nadal takes this game after a failed drop shot by Ruud.
Great serve from Ruud as Nadal couldn't get this one back. Levels the score 15-15. Nadal overhits. It's 15-30 to him. Nadal pulls it right back with a great forehand. Nadal pounces again. Wins this game too. 7th straight game that he has won.
Effortless from Nadal as he swats away Ruud's shot with ease. Leads 15-0. Finds the net next. Scores get level. That's out by Ruud. Very close. Nadal leads. Dominance from Nadal as Ruud has no answer to Nadal's stinging serve. Out again. Nadal wins first game.
Ruud tries to put everything against Nadal, overhits and that's out. Nadal leads 30-15. Set points now. Ruud has completely lost the plot. Now, Nadal puts one out. Deuce. Another one goes out from Ruud. Advantage Nadal. Ruud utilises the angle and Nadal gets the net. Another is out and Nadal has taken this set
Nadal is ruthless, going to 40-0 by sending Ruud all over the place. And then an ace gets the job done to love.
What a rally and what a finish to it with Ruud's forehand finds the winner. Next one, he puts the ball out of play. Scores level again. Scorching serve by Ruud to take the lead. Out again. Scores level again. Absolutely smashed by Ruud to win the next point with an overhead. Venomous. Hard luck for Ruud as he gets the net and the ball goes over the playing area. Deuce. Nadal smashes to take advantage. Game is Nadal's as he breakls again.
Shot by Nadal as Ruud misses the volley as the Spaniard goes 15-0 up. In the blink of an eye, gets to 30-0. There's the experience of Nadal as he hits a drop shot which leaves Ruud wrong-footed. Ruud finds the net from the Nadal serve. It's 3-3.
Stunner fro Ruud as a running forehand catches Nadal off guard as he levels this one 15-15. Overhits the next shot to give Nadal the lead. Ruud forces a mistake from Nadal and te scores are level. A fault by Ruud now. Another is sent out of play by Ruud and it's Nadal's game.
Ruud leads in the game as Nadal's shot finds the net. Another net from Nadal as he gets 3 break points, builds a 40-0 lead. Finally finding his feet is the Norwegian. Double fault by Nadal and Ruud takes this one.
A slap down the side by Nadal to tie the game up at 15-15. Great shot by Ruud to take the lead. Absolutely flies off his racquet. That's Ruud's game as he takes this one.
Ruthless from Nadal as he is on course to level the game with a 40-0 lead. Masterful by Ruud to turn Nadal's drop shot against him and places it near the net for the points. And it's level with a backhand.
Slow start by Ruud in the first game of the second set as Nadal leads 40-15 after Ruud overhits and puts the ball out of play. Deuce now as this is going down the wire. What a comeback by Ruud. Saves multiple break points to get the lead.
Cruncher of a forehand from Ruud to go 30-15 up in this game. Is the comeback on? The Norway lad is finally finding his feet but Nadal has other ideas as a stinging serve levels things up. Ruud hits another out from the Nadal serve. That's it. Nadal wins the first set.
Great start for Ruud as Nadal is forced to play a backhand, leaves a lot of space as Ruud places it there to take the first points. Nadal hits a scorcher as he directly hits a return ball from near the and Ruud couldn't get there. Scores level. Nice shot by Ruud near the net to hand him the lead. Nadal hits one awry and Ruud wins this game.
Ruud gets the net again and Nadal gets the points. Follows that up with 15 more which is then followed by another well-placed shot for a 40-0 lead for Nadal. A backhand which goes wide gives Ruud his first points. Gets 15 more as Nadal takes back the advantage in the next rally. A drop shot by Nadal next as Ruud struggles to deal with it, which is followed by a placed shot which Ruud has no answer to. Nadal's game
A well placed forehand and Nadal leads 15-0. Great serve by Ruud to force Nadal to play it out of court as he levels 15-15. Ruud tries the drop shot again and this time it works. Nadal levels in a jiffy with a smashimg forehand. Another stinging serve by Ruud and Rafa has no answer for it. Ruud holds serve as Nadal pushes another shot wide.
A backhand by Ruud has gone out of play as Nadal takes the first points of this game. Takes 15 more after a well placed shot can't be returned by the 23-year-old. A drop shot by Ruud, Nadal gets to it and just placed in past a wrong-footed Ruud. Ruud gets his first points of the game with a smash. A very big backhand goes very wrong as Nadal takes this game.
A well placed shot by Ruud helps him get a sizeable advantage over Nadal but an erratic shot takes us to the first deuce of the game. Another mistimed shot by Ruud as he hits the net to restore Nadal's advantage.
Nerves for Nadal as he misjudges a forehand to level up at 15-15. A double fault next followed by another and two break points. Ruud overhits the first. On the second serve he can only net his return. Ruud on the board.
Nadal takes the first point by skidding a drop shot home. A decent serve by Ruud brings back the game to 15-15. Ruud then hits the net. An incredible winner from Nadal takes the break as he smashes home.
Nerves in the forefront for Ruud as he mishits a regular shot to give the first points to Nadal. In a blink, Nadal goes 30-0 up before ruud pulls one back with a forehand to get his first points. A backhand fails Ruud as Nadal wins first game.
The players pose for a photo after Nadal wins the toss and elects to serve first.
Here are the players as Casper Ruud comes out first, followed by Nadal who comes out to a loud applause. Let's get down to business!!!
If Ruud wins today, he becomes:
- First man to beat Rafa Nadal in a French Open final
- Youngest GS champ since del Potro, 2009
- First man to win his first GS title at RG since Nadal in 2005
Having won the men's singles title on 13 of 17 attempts at the French Open, Nadal has only ever lost three matches at Roland-Garros in his career, with his exit in 2016 not counted as an official loss because he withdrew before the third round with injury.
Nadal has the most French Open titles in history. On Sunday, he goes for an unprecedented 14th against Casper Ruud. Here's a look back at moments of his first 13 wins.
The temperature is around 70 degrees Fahrenheit (20 Celsius) and there is rain in the forecast. Court Philippe Chatrier has a retractable roof, which was closed for Nadal's semifinal.
Alexander Zverev says “it looks like” he tore “several lateral ligaments” in his right foot during his French Open semifinal against Rafael Nadal. Zverev posted on Instagram a photo of himself standing in front of an airplane with a pair of crutches and with a walking boot on his lower right leg.
Ruud says he has never beaten Nadal in practice matches at the academy, though a lot of the sets have been close. He may be surprised by how well he does on Sunday. At 36, Nadal can come out of the gates a little slowly and nervously these days, as he did against Auger Aliassime and Zverev.
A lot of Ruud’s game was working very well in his win over Marin Cilic on Friday. He hit 16 aces, and considering that Nadal has been struggling to convert break points of late, Ruud’s underrated serve will surely help him out of a few jams in the final.
Rafael Nadal showed up at Roland Garros with his personal doctor along for the trip, hoping to get some help with the chronic pain in his left foot that’s been an off-and-on problem for years. Nadal, as is his wont, has downplayed his chances at a 14th French Open trophy and 22nd Grand Slam title overall — both of those numbers would add to records he already holds — and repeatedly said he has no idea whether each match might be the last of his career in Paris.
Does the student have a chance of beating the master? If you’ve been watching Nadal your entire life, the way Ruud has, you know what his record is in Roland Garros finals—13-0. And you know the quality of the players—Djokovic, Federer, Wawrinka, Ferrer, Thiem—he has beaten in those finals.
“Casper is one of the candidates [for] winning in every clay court event that he's playing. He's one of the clear favourites,” Nadal said. “He’s not a big surprise [in the final] at all.” “Casper is a professional,” he added, recalling his interactions with the Norwegian in Mallorca. “He has, I think, a very good character to play tennis. He's very relaxed, humble. He's always in a positive mood about learning.
This is the first time that Nadal and Ruud has squared off in an official match. Can the newcomer edge the veteran tonight?
Ruud learns a lot of his practice sessions with Nadal and admits the Spaniard comes out on top in most of them. “There's been some close sets, 7-6, 7-5, but it always goes his favour,” Ruud said. “But it's because we are playing in the academy and I want to be nice to him and give him the (win). I will try to figure something else out than in the practices, how to beat him," he added with a laugh.
Despite concerns over his declining physicality, the disadvantageous night scheduling, and his previous record against his great rival, Rafael Nadal provided an over-four-hour-long exhibition in clay-court mastery to take down Novak Djokovic and book his customary spot in the semifinals of the French Open. (READ MORE)
After three consecutive years of third-round losses, Ruud finally broke through to the second week with a win over No.12 seed Hubert Hurkacz. He then navigated past tricky opponents like 19-year-old Holger Rune in a contentious all-Scandinavian quarter-final, and a resurgent Marin Cilic in the last four.
Rafael Nadal has become the second-oldest men’s finalist in French Open history after his semifinal opponent, Alexander Zverev, stopped playing Friday because of an injured right leg. Now Nadal will try to become the oldest champion at a tournament he’s already won a record 13 times. (READ MORE)
For someone so used to epic battles over his career, fifth-seeded Nadal is actually most dominant when the points are relatively short, rather than the sensational longer points that often catch the eye.
Anyone who’s ever seen Nadal play at Roland-Garros – and Ruud says he thinks he’s watched all 13 finals the Spaniard has won – will know that when he’s playing his best, he gets to the net often and with great success.
He took the scenic route, but Rafael Nadal finally got to the magic number of 21, breaking the tie with his great contemporaries Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. Their progress in this Grand Slam race over almost two decades has hooked tennis fans and prompted various arguments in the GOAT (Greatest of All Time) debate. (READ MORE)
On Saturday, world number one Iga Swiatek confirmed her dominance of women’s tennis by sweeping aside American teenager Coco Gauff 6-1 6-3 to claim her second French Open title in three years. (READ MORE)
Rafael Nadal has never lost a French Open final. A win on Sunday against first-time Grand Slam finalist Casper Ruud would deliver a record-extending 14th crown to the Spaniard and widen his lead in the men’s race for the most major titles.
The first Norwegian man to reach a Grand Slam final, Ruud will face his childhood idol and mentor Nadal for the first time on Court Philippe-Chatrier for a chance to lift the Coupe des Mousquetaires.
Casper Ruud has won six titles on tour – five of them on clay and two of them this year. He is ranked as high as World No.8, becoming the first player from Norway to make the top 10 of the world rankings. The 23-year-old has quickly become one of the most reliable claycourters around at the moment, but despite all of that, few would have picked him to make the final at Roland Garros this year. (READ MORE)
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the French open men’s final between Rafael Nadal and Casper Ruud. Nadal is seeking his 14th championship at the French Open and 22nd Grand Slam title overall. Both of those totals would extend records he already owns. Ruud is playing in a major final for the first time.