Rafael Nadal celebrated his record-extending 14th French Open title with a two-hander that whistled through the air and kicked the chalk. The champion then tossed his racket, tearing up as he covered his face before embracing his opponent - Casper Ruud.
The ochre-hued stage was set earlier in the day, Court Philippe-Chatrier was at capacity and the troubling weather predictions had been binned. The sun made periodic appearances early in the match, perhaps to greet the 13-time champion, before coming out in all its glory in the second half of the final.
1/10:14th French Open title win
<p>Rafael Nadal regained his aura of invincibility on clay on Sunday by brutally crushing Casper Ruud to lift the French Open trophy for an incredible 14th time and widen the gap at the top of the men's all-time list of Grand Slam winners. (AP Photo)</p>
2/10:Unsuccessful challengers
<p>Norwegian Ruud became the latest victim in a long line of challengers who have unsuccessfully tried to defeat the Spaniard in the Roland Garros final since Nadal won his maiden title on the red clay in 2005. (Getty Images)</p>
3/10:100% success rate
<p>There was a sense of deja vu as the Spaniard, who turned 36 on Friday, completed a 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 thrashing on a balmy afternoon in Paris to maintain his 100% success rate in the championship round at the claycourt major. (Getty Images)</p>
4/10:Nadal lifts the Musketeers' Cup
<p>Despite all the trials and tribulations he suffered in the build-up, no one could prevent Nadal from lifting the Musketeers' Cup for a record-extending 14th time. (Getty Images)</p>
5/10:Calendar Grand Slam
<p>The win means Nadal is now halfway through the calendar Grand Slam for the first time in his career after also winning the year's opening major at the Australian Open. (Getty Images)</p>
6/10:Oldest Roland Garros men's singles champion
<p>Nadal passed fellow Spaniard Andres Gimeno as the oldest Roland Garros men's singles champion. The result once again demonstrated that even when he is less than 100% fit, he is still a mountain too steep to conquer on the red clay of Roland Garros. (Getty Images)</p>
7/10:22nd Grand Slam title
<p>The win also gave Nadal a record-extending 22nd Grand Slam title and put him two clear of world number one Novak Djokovic of Serbia and Swiss Roger Federer in the men's race for the most major titles. (Getty Images)</p>
8/10:Nadal and Ruud
<p>Nadal and Ruud had never played a competitive match before Sunday, but they have hit together plenty of times at the Spaniard's academy in Mallorca and Ruud earlier said he has never won a practice set against his idol. That record remained unchanged on Sunday. (Getty Images)</p>
9/10:Blistering start
<p>Nadal, who is 13 years older than Ruud, made a blistering start as he raced to a 2-0 lead with a superb forehand passing shot securing him the first break of the match. (Reuters Photo)</p>
10/10:Top-spin forehand
<p>Nadal's vicious top-spin forehand soon found its range and he started applying pressure to Ruud's backhand to secure a break and canter to a 4-1 lead before securing the opening set. (AFP Photo)</p>That worked like a roller on the crushed red-brick carpet and Nadal was skipping around the shale and stinging like a bee. So much so that Ruud only won eight points in the third set.
Nadal's 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 victory, which gave him his 22nd Grand Slam crown, saw his backhand dominate as much as his forehand, piling up a total of 37 winners. The 36-year-old, who has won the Australian and French Open titles in the same year for the first time in his decorated career, passed fellow Spaniard Andres Gimeno as the oldest Roland Garros men's singles champion in history.
"It is very difficult to describe the feelings that I have. It is something that I have never believed," Nadal said as he hugged the Coupe des Mousquetaires. "To be here at 36, being competitive again in the most important court of my career. One more title means a lot."
"I don't know what can happen in the future," said Nadal, as an arena, reeling under the weight of retirement rumours, held its breath, "but I'm going to keep fighting, keep going."
The Spaniard, in a colour scheme that was the only thing out of line on the day, pastel pea on teal, turned to his box to give thanks. "My team, my family, without you none of this would be possible, especially in the very tough moments we went through with injuries." The final appreciation went out to Roland Garros. "Thank you to everyone who made this event possible, merci beaucoup."
The angle of the final match-up was acute. Not only is the Spaniard Ruud's idol, the 23-year-old, the son of former pro Christian, has also trained at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca since 2018. They have played practice sets and rounds of golf and Ruud is perhaps too comfortable around Nadal the person. Nadal the pro is a whole different beast.
The eighth seed, who also claimed his prize from the legendary Billie Jean King, applauded Nadal. "We all know what a champion you are, I got to see it first-hand, playing you in the final," he said. "You are a true inspiration to everyone around the world. We all hope you continue for some more time."
Earlier in the match, Ruud was standing so far behind the baseline to receive Nadal's serve, he might as well have been swinging from Champs-Elysees. Nadal, who gave his younger opponent the same respect on his first serve, moved closer in on the second delivery, which is what gave him a break in the second game of the match, a cross-court winner leaving the Norwegian stranded at the net.
Rafael Nadal with each of his fourteen French Open Championships. (Reuters Photo)
Successive double-faults in the third game cast the dye on the Nadal serve, but the muscular Spaniard was reading Ruud like a novel he didn't want to put down.
Rafael Nadal holding the Mousquetaires Cup after his 14 victories at the French Open. (AFP Photo)
The second set saw the duo indulge in a bit of a snakes-and-ladder chase, with Ruud jumping ahead 3-1. Nadal hit back to break in the fifth game after which it appeared to be a case of more ladders than snakes for the Spaniard, who broke again in the ninth game. In the third set, with the sun smiling down on Chatrier, Nadal made it a run of 11 successive games to close it on his second match point.
