Rafael Nadal Makes History, Wins 13th French Open

Rafael Nadal of Spain etched his name in the history books, becoming the first man to win the same major tournament thirteen times.

"Thirteen times here is a lot. I never thought about that. But I will keep practicing with the same passion and intensity to bring my tennis to the highest level possible," said Nadal.

"The feeling on court was great. The matches against David are always difficult," he said. "I think the score is much easier than what the match was today. I think for moments I played great. I think a few moments in the match, I played at very, very high level.

Rafael Nadal is widely regarded as the greatest clay-court player of all time, and the French Open is the most prestigious clay-court tennis tournament in the world. Nadal has an incredible record at the French Open, having won the tournament a record 13 times.

Nadal won his first French Open title in 2005, when he was just 19 years old, and he has dominated the tournament ever since. He has won the title in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.

Nadal's record at the French Open is remarkable. He has won an incredible 105 matches at the tournament, and has lost just 2 matches in his entire career at Roland Garros. He has also won an incredible 60 sets in a row on the clay courts of Roland Garros, which is a record for any player at any Grand Slam tournament.

Nadal's dominance on clay is due to a combination of his physical abilities, mental toughness, and tactical nous. He is incredibly fast, strong, and agile on the clay court, and he has an incredible ability to hit the ball with power and accuracy. His mental toughness is also a key factor, as he is able to stay focused and calm under pressure, and he has a great ability to come back from behind in matches. Finally, Nadal's tactical nous is also critical, as he is able to read his opponents' games and adapt his own game accordingly.

Nadal's 13 French Open titles are not only a record for any player at any single Grand Slam tournament, but also the most titles won by any player at any single tournament in the Open Era (since 1968).

Nadal's only two losses at the French Open came in 2009 (to Robin Soderling in the fourth round) and 2015 (to Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals). His loss to Soderling was especially surprising, as Nadal had won the tournament the previous four years and was considered unbeatable on clay at the time.

Nadal's most dominant performance at the French Open came in 2008, when he dropped only 41 games in the entire tournament and defeated Roger Federer 6-1, 6-3, 6-0 in the final. That year, Nadal won his fourth consecutive French Open title and cemented his status as the King of Clay.

Nadal has defeated a number of top players on his way to his 13 French Open titles, including Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Stan Wawrinka, Andy Murray, and Dominic Thiem.

In addition to his 13 French Open titles, Nadal has also won two Wimbledon titles, four US Open titles, and one Australian Open title, for a total of 20 Grand Slam singles titles. This ties him with Roger Federer for the most Grand Slam titles won by a male player in history.

Nadal has also won a number of other records and accolades during his French Open career, including the most consecutive French Open titles won by a male player (4, twice) and the most clay-court titles won by a male player in the Open Era (73 as of 2021).

Tennis: "Rafael Nadal Makes History, Wins 13th French Open"