Rafael Nadal vs Casper Ruud, LIVE, for the Roland Garros final: minute by minute, live

Ruud broke, 1-2. Nadal played a weak serve game, with two double faults in a row, and gave his rival two break chances. The Norwegian wasted the first with too long a shot. But an unforced error by the Spaniard, who left the ball in the net, allowed him to recover the service he lost in the previous match.

Nadal broke, 2-0. Rafa, with deep and aggressive shots, was 15-40 with Ruud serving. The Norwegian raised the first break point against with a winning crosscourt by right, but failed on the second. And the Majorcan took advantage of it very quickly.

Nadal 1-0. Good start for the Spaniard, who plays aggressively on Ruud’s backhand. The world number five won two games in his first serving game and took the lead in the opening set.

The match has begun. Rafael Nadal starts serving in the final as he seeks his 22nd Grand Slam title and 14th in Paris.

Nadal and the uncertainty about his possible retirement

In an interview with France Télévisions, which aired a few minutes before the final, the Majorcan admitted that he was unsure of the next step in his career. “I don’t know, I wish I could give a clearer answer but at the moment I don’t know. One thing is clear: I would like to return here to Roland Garros for a few years, but I have a foot problem that does not allow me to train a lot. My goal is to come back here, but there is a possibility that I will not succeed “, he assured. “After this tournament we will try to find solutions for my foot. These are very difficult days, but I will do everything possible to keep playing. I will give all the means to come back here.”

The players have already entered the stadium and are preparing for the draw.

Luxury guests for the final

the Brazilian Guga Kuerten, former world number one and three-time champion in Paris (1197, 2000 and 2001), is at Philippe Chatrier to attend the final. Also present were King Felipe of Spain and some personalities from the world of entertainment, such as actor Michael Douglas. And another former world ranking leader and tournament winner is expected: none other than Swiss Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal’s great career rival.

Ruud’s word in the preview

“I feel good. It is a great day for me and for tennis in general. It is a Grand Slam final. I will try to enjoy it, I am excited to play it. I trained well in advance and did everything I could do. to prepare. So we’ll see how it goes. I tried to stay in my bubble and not think too much about the circumstances. I’ll have to play the best tennis of my life if I want a chance. I hope I can do it today. For now the day is going well. , we will see how it goes on “, commented the Norwegian.

Another fall for Gustavo Fernández

Argentine Gustavo Fernández crashed this Sunday in the wheelchair final at Roland Garros paired with the Japanese Shingo Kunieda, defeated by the British Gordon Reid and Alfie Hewett, number 1 in the standings, 7-6 (6) and 7-6 (6), in two hours and 20 minutes.

Fernández also remained without the individual title this Saturday after falling in the final against Kunieda, number 2 in the world, 6-2, 5-7 and 7-5. It is the eighth crown of the 38-year-old Japanese from Paris, who also boasts eleven Australian Open, one Wimbledon and eight in the United States, as well as three Paralympic medals. Fernández was at the gates of his third Roland Garros, after those he won in 2016 and 2019, but he can add it in the double, alongside Kunieda himself.

Here’s how Ruud prepares himself

The postcard from Iga, the queen of Paris

“I think I can memorize which rivals Rafa played in the finals because I saw them all on television. It’s amazing to be in the same place where tennis players like Puerta, Federer, Djokovic, Thiem, Wawrinka and everyone who has faced him at end, “added Ruud, who has confessed to being a fan of Nadal since he was little.

“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.

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 Ruud, specialist in clay, has built two flawless weeks, the best of his career, with successive victories over the French Jo Wilfried Tsonga (297), the Finnish Emil Ruusuvuori (61), the Italian Lorenzo Sonego (31), on the Polish Hubert Hurkacz (13), the Danish Holger Rune (40) and in the semifinals the Croatian Marin Cilic (23).

“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.

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.

Rafa Nadal, 36, won this year’s Australian Open, 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 lead and beat. another record, as he played 13 finals and won them all, thus building his legend.

The match between Rafael Nadal and Casper Ruud is announced for 10, now Argentina. The Spaniard tries to expand his legend in the history of tennis: he could get his 14th title in Paris and his 22nd Grand Slam, detaching two from Djokovic and Federer. The Norwegian, for his part, is enjoying the best week of his career and is playing his first definition in a tournament of this magnitude.