On Sunday, 14-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal got a warm tribute at Roland Garros that involved his contemporaries Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray joining him on the clay. The ceremony took place on Court Philippe-Chatrier, where a plaque was unveiled on the court with his footprint and number of French Open titles engraved on it.
(Credit: RafaelNadalFans.com)
While Nadal was a great all-around player, winning 22 grand slams and winning each grand slam (Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open) at least twice, it was the French Open that he dominated like nobody else (man or woman). I know records are meant to be broken, but there is a very live possibility that Nadal's 14 French Open titles stands the test of time. Not just in terms of being the most French Open titles, but the most titles that anyone has at any of the other grand slams.
Between his first French Open title in 2005 and his final French Open title in 2022, there were just four years in those 18 years that Nadal didn't win it. He had a winning percentage of 77.8%. Not a match winning percentage. A tournament winning percentage. His match record was 112-4, which is good for a 96.6% winning percentage. That is nuts.
Given that ridiculous level of dominance, it is only fitting that Roland Garros gave him such an amazing tribute. He legitimately is a talent on the clay that Paris and the world may never see again. When you have people like that in your midst, you need to do all you can to give them their due and honor them. Words honestly cannot fully express just how amazing Nadal's dominance at Roland Garros was. It's other worldly.
While the tennis world and especially Roland Garros will miss watching Nadal play, it's comforting to know that his footprint and 14 titles is forever etched into the dirt that he played so gracefully on. Nadal may not go down in history as the greatest all-around tennis player, but one thing is indisputable: He's the King of Clay and forever will be.
ATPGuy.com on Facebook: @ATPGuyNation
ATPGuy.com on X (Twitter) @atp_guy
ATPGuy.com on Blue Sky: atpguydotcom.bsky.social
Ben Parker on Facebook, IG, Threads, X (Twitter), YouTube, & Blue Sky: @slamdunk406
No comments:
Post a Comment