Rafael Nadal wins 14th French Open title, needs ‘solution’ to keep playing

Rafael Nadal won a record-extending 14th French Open title and 22nd Grand Slam men’s singles title, sweeping Norwegian Casper Ruud in what may have been his last time playing the tournament.

Nadal beat Ruud 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 in what he cautioned in the week leading up may have been his final French Open after being set back by congenital, degenerative foot pain over the last year. Nadal authored the second-biggest blowout of his 30 Grand Slam singles finals to become the oldest champion in Roland Garros history.

“For me, personally, very difficult to describe the feelings that I have,” Nadal said in his victory speech. “It’s something that I for sure never believed, be here at 36, being competitive again, playing in the most important court of my career one more time in a final means a lot.

“I don’t know what can happen in the future, but I’m going to keep fighting to try to keep going.”

Nadal broke fellow Spaniard Andres Gimeno‘s record as the oldest French Open singles champion, doing so on the 17th anniversary of his first title in Paris. Chris Evert, the second-most successful French Open champion in the Open Era, won it seven times.

“Much more, probably, emotional than the first time because completely unexpected to be where I am at this age, at this stage of my career,” said Nadal, who due to the foot limped and grimaced at the end of his last match before the French Open on May 12. “I have been going through tough times the last couple of months.”

Asked directly if there’s a chance he plays another French Open, Nadal said he didn’t know.

“Of course, I would love to keep coming, but at the same time we need to find a solution for that because I can’t keep going the way that I am doing,” he said on NBC.

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