Rafael Nadal added to his legacy at the Roland Garros as he stunned Dominic Thiem 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 on Sunday. This is his twelfth triumph in Paris. The 33-year-old, famous for his rivalries with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, has racked up an impressive cabinet of 18 Grand Slams in the meanwhile. He is just 2 Grand Slams shy off Federer's 20-mark. And to add to that, he has won a total of 34 Masters title. The highest among the "Big 3".
Roger Federer, who suffered his worst defeat at a Slam in 12 years, at the hands of World number 2 said that 'There's nobody who plays remotely as close to Rafa'. And he learned it the hard way. Nadal's picking at the rear end of his shorts, and mopping of his brows, aligned with his obsessive devotion to lining up the water bottles, with the labels facing out, are just part of Nadal's DNA. Doing each and everything with sheer perfection.
Nadal's Roland Garros triumphs over the years
But it has not always been great for him. He failed to reach a single Grand Slam semi-final in both 2015 and 2016. Perhaps the darkest phase of his career so far. He was down but certainly not out. He roared back to the top in 2017. Reaching three of the four available Grand Slam finals, winning two of them.
Here are four reasons why Nadal's twelfth Roland Garros title is the greatest feat in the HISTORY of Tennis:
Consistency over the years: In a tournament where 128 professional players go head to head for the title, it is the Spaniard that had won last 12 of the last 15 editions, with an insane win-loss record of 93-2. This is a record that is not looking to end anytime soon. Only two players have been able to get the better of Nadal in Paris. It just has been like this. He is looking bad over the year, losing some matches to lower rank positions. Losing in the first round of the Wimbledon Championships. And then when he steps into the Philippe Chatrier Court, he is a completely different player. He had that confidence and that belief back in him. This place just gets the better out of World number two. Winning a Grand Slam once is great, but winning it twelve times is almost unthinkable. This remarkable consistency is what makes it a feat that is hard to match in the future too.
That celebration over the years hasn't changed yet
His records in numbers: His win over Dominic Thiem in the final meant that he has won a total of 18 Grand Slams, second only to Federer. Although, he seemed least concerned about this aspect and wants to take this scintillating form to Wimbledon as well. Nadal clinched his 12th Roland Garros title on Sunday. Martina Navratilova is the only player to win a tournament 12 times as she won in Chicago for the twelfth time in 1992. Nadal holds a record of 12-0 in the final of the French Open. This includes five straight sets victory and seven four-set victories. Five straight-set victories in the final, are you kidding me? He did win the tournament without conceding a single set on three different occasions, in 2008, 2010 and 2017. Only two players got the better of him at Paris, Robin Soderling in 2009 and Novak Djokovic in 2015 defeated Nadal in the Fourth round and quarter-finals respectively. He also didn't win in 2016, when he withdrew due to injury just before the third round.
Shaky youngsters: Tennis certainly has some bright future with the likes of Dominic Thiem, Alexander Zverev, Nick Krygios, and Stefanos Tsitsipas. But are they capable of winning at least half of Nadal's number is a big doubt? They look great on their day. But the very next day, they are an ordinary bunch of players on the court. They lack the grit and the commitment which is required to dominate a tournament like no other. And most importantly, they lack in the discipline department too. Have you ever seen Nadal throwing his racquet after a point, hitting the ball in anger towards the crowd, or smashing the water bottles? Perhaps not, and that's why he is a respectable figure in the Tennis fraternity. A terrific ambassador of the game throughout the World. They are not even better than Roger Federer at 38. Do I need to say anything else? It just doesn't look that his record will end anytime soon.
That moment when the unthinkable was done
And he is not stopping yet: At 33 and peak of his powers, he is not gonna stop anytime soon. His revitalised backhand is the best in the business and just shows his incredible dedication towards the sport that he wants to add more to his game even at this later part of his career. His lethal forehand has always come to his advantage in the Big games, but he surprised everyone with his backhand this time around. The topspin and swerve on the ball was too hot to handle even for the likes of Roger Federer and Dominic Thiem. He is a warrior on the court and will give his all to claim the title in the coming years too. Judging by his heroics on the court, one can expect at least 5-6 years of tennis from the Spaniard. For instance, it's Twelve and still counting…
All this and more makes this the greatest feat in the history of tennis. Unmatched and unrivaled, his Twelve Grand Slam titles stands tall among the rest.
