Tennis

King of Clay

Published Oct. 11, 2020 1:12 p.m. ET

World No. 2 Rafael Nadal tied longtime rival Roger Federer for a record 20th Grand Slam title with a decisive straight-sets win in the French Open final on Sunday.

Nadal defeated world No. 1 Novak Djokovic 6-0, 6-2, 7-5, and with the victory, earned his 13th Roland Garros title.

The match marked just the second straight-sets decision between Nadal and Djokovic in a Grand Slam final, and the victory gave Nadal a 5-4 edge against Djokovic in finals.

Although Djokovic holds more wins on clay against Nadal than anyone else, Nadal got the best of the Serbian today, capping the final point with a fitting ace.

Nadal is now a perfect 13-for-13 in French Open finals.

Meanwhile, Djokovic uncharacteristically struggled, as he didn’t win a single game in the first set, becoming the first time in his career he hasn't done so in the first set of a Grand Slam final.

Djokovic finally started to show life in the third set, but it was too little to late, as he was handed his first loss in a completed match this season.

Nadal lifted the trophy at Roland Garros for the fourth time in his career without dropping a single set in the entire tournament.

The 34-year old Nadal is the oldest French Open champion since 1972 and the first man in the Open Era to win a Grand Slam title 15 years after his first.

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