Nadal played 13 finals in Paris and won them all, while Ruud will be his first time defining a Grand Slam. Photo: EFE / EPA / YOAN VALAT.
The Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal, with a record of 13 trophies at Roland Garros and 21 Grand Slam titles that make him the leader in the field, will face the Norwegian tomorrow Casper Ruud in the final of the traditional Parisian tournament, a sort of World Cup on clay.
The final of the Parisian Grand Slam between Nadal, fifth in the ATP world rankings, and Ruud (8) will be played this Sunday starting at 10 (Argentina time) on Philippe Chatrier’s central court with ESPN television and the Star + platform.
“Rafa” Nadal, 36, won the Australian Open this year, which allowed him to reach 21 Grand Slams and beat Serbian Novak Djokovic and Swiss Roger Federer, both with 20, and in Paris he can increase that advantage and break another record, as he played 13 finals and won them all, thus building his legend.
The Majorcan tennis player, harassed by physical problems during the final phase of his career, settled in the final of Roland Garros after leaving Australian Jordan Thompson (82), Frenchman Corentin Moutet (139), to Dutch Botic Van De Zandschulp (29), Canadian Félix Auger Aliassime (9), Serbian Novak Djokovic (1) in a real battle and German Alexander Zverev (3), who dominated 7-6 (10-8) and 6-6 when the German injured his ankle and had to leave the semifinal.
“I prefer to lose the final and have a new foot, because a new foot would allow me to be happier in my daily life. My way of seeing things hasn’t changed, winning fills you with momentary adrenaline, but life is much more important of a title “, confessed Nadal on the eve of the match with Ruud, alluding to the injury that mistreated him in the final phase of his brilliant career.
His rival, the Norwegian clay specialist Ruud, built two flawless weeks, the best of his career, with successive victories over Frenchman Jo Wilfried Tsonga (297), Finnish Emil Ruusuvuori (61), Italian Lorenzo Sonego (31), the Polish Hubert Hurkacz (13), the Danish Holger Rune (40) and in the semifinals the Croatian Marin Cilic (23).
The 23-year-old Norwegian with no experience in the Grand Slam finals has won eight career titles, seven of them on clay, including two editions of the Argentina Open, in 2020 and 2022, and has never faced Nadal, although he did. he trains with him several times at the academy that the Spaniard owns in Palma de Mallorca.
The Norwegian Casper Ruud, the great surprise of Roland Garros. Photo: EFE / EPA / MARTIN DIVISEK.
“To face Rafa in a Roland Garros final is probably the biggest challenge in this sport, I think he is 13-0 in the final here in Paris and it seems like an impossible challenge. However I will try to have my chance like the 13 who have played before of me “, anticipates Ruud, born in Oslo on December 22, 1998.
“I think I can memorize which rivals Rafa played in the final against because I’ve seen them all on television. It’s amazing to be in the same place where tennis players like Puerta, Federer, Djokovic, Thiem, Wawrinka and all those who have faced him in a final have passed, “added Ruud, who has confessed to being a fan of Nadal since he was small.
Source: Telam
Source: Clarin
