Rafael Nadal celebrates a point against Stan Wawrinka during the final of the French Open. Nadal, who has dominated on clay in his career, did not leave the outcome in doubt for long. The Spaniard claimed his record 10th French Open title on Sunday. David Vincent/AP hide caption
toggle caption
David Vincent/AP
Rafael Nadal celebrates a point against Stan Wawrinka during the final of the French Open. Nadal, who has dominated on clay in his career, did not leave the outcome in doubt for long. The Spaniard claimed his record 10th French Open title on Sunday.
David Vincent/AP
Sometimes, the French Open offers some shocking outcomes. Played on clay, a challenging and occasionally tricky surface for even the pros, the tournament has a habit of serving up some surprising winners. See Exhibit A: Jelena Ostapenko, yesterday’s unseeded champion of the women’s side.
Sometimes, though, things go precisely as planned.
Rafael Nadal swept the men’s French Open final on Sunday, 6-2, 6-3, 6-1, laying down an overwhelming performance Sunday against Stan Wawrinka. From the opening serve, the win was almost never in doubt for the 31-year-old Spaniard, who now has a record 10 French Open victories to his name.
Nadal has never lost a final at Roland Garros.
As quick as it was, the match was not without its highlights, however: There was, for instance, this remarkable forehand — taken at a full sprint and placed perfectly in the back corner the other way. It was enough to leave even Wawrinka shaking his head in stunned appreciation.
At other points in the match, Wawrinka was a little less appreciative — as when he smashed his racket in frustration after a lost point.
Nadal’s historic victory simply adds to his record on the clay court in Paris. As his 15th career Grand Slam, it also places him second on the all-time list for men and keeps him within sight of first place, his long-time rival Roger Federer. The Swiss great stands at 18 after defeating Nadal in a five-set classic at the Australian Open earlier this year.
