After 7 months of absence, the King has reclaimed his throne.
Rafael Nadal isn’t called the King of Clay for nothing, with now a historic 8 French Open Championships under his belt, his path to immortality in the sport is sealed.
Nadal took down fellow Spanish countryman David Ferrer in straight sets winning 6-3, 6-2, 6-3. His record at Roland Garros is an amazing 59-1.
Nadal ties Roy Emerson at 3rd place for most grand slam titles at 12, behind Pete Sampras with 14 and Federer who has 17.
Barring injuries and with the decline of Federer Rafael at just 27, may very well be coming into his prime years if he can find a way to fully solve the Djokovic riddle. No doubt the 17 titles landmark by Federer remains the ultimate driving force behind each major.
Unlike the women’s side the men’s side isn’t so black and white. Nadal’s playing style is so athletic that the question of his health will always be the discussion when determining what his final place in the sport will be. Can his knee hold up on hard courts? Will Djokovic continue to show no fear against him? All questions with no answers.
For now though Nadal has nothing to prove, he is indisputably the best player in the game today. The next test comes on the grass courts of Wimbledon where his legacy will continue to be told.