PARIS — Rafael Nadal was worried.
A guy so unflinching, so nearly unbeatable, while sliding and grinding and pounding his way past opponent after opponent at the French Open, got a real case of nerves during the 18 hours he and Novak Djokovic waited for the restart of their final at Roland Garros.
When play was halted by showers on Sunday, Nadal was clinging to an ever-shrinking lead. It wasn’t until a few minutes before setting foot back on Court Philippe Chatrier, his favorite arena at his favorite tournament on his favorite surface, that Nadal set aside his anxiety. The King of Clay overwhelmed No.1-ranked Djokovic for the 50 minutes and nine games they played yesterday, wrapping up a 6-4, 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 victory that allowed Nadal to earn French Open trophy No. 7, breaking a tie with Bjorn Borg.
“You never know if you’re going to win another one,” said the second-ranked Nadal, who now owns 11 Grand Slam titles.
Djokovic worked his way back into the match with an eight-game run when it was pouring Sunday, but otherwise was outplayed, at the start and the finish.
“He’s definitely (the) best player in history … on this surface,” said Djokovic, whose 27-match Grand Slam winning streak ended. “And results are showing that he’s one of the best ever.”
Since his French Open debut at age 18 in May 2005, Nadal is 52-1 for his career at the tournament, the only loss coming to Robin Soderling in the fourth round in 2009. He’s just as good elsewhere on clay, too: Nadal has won eight titles at Monte Carlo, seven at Barcelona and six at Rome.
Asked to explain his success on the surface, Nadal pointed not to his uppercut of a topspin-slathered forehand, or his superior returns of serve, but rather to his movement, his mental fortitude, and this: “I always was scared to lose.”
Djokovic gave Nadal reason for added concern, having beaten him in the finals at Wimbledon in July, the U.S. Open in September, and the Australian Open in January. Djokovic was attempting to be only the third man to win four major tournaments in succession, joining Don Budge in 1938, and Rod Laver in 1962 and 1969.
Instead, Nadal gained ground on Roger Federer’s record of 16 Grand Slam titles, tying Borg and Laver for fourth place.
“If Borg had kept playing until he was 30, he might have won 10 French Opens — something Nadal could wind up doing if he keeps playing,” said Corrado Barazzutti, a top-10 player in the 1970s who lost all 10 career matches against the Swede.
“Borg was a player who, particularly on red clay, was unbeatable, in my opinion. Facing him on a court was like being trapped in a tunnel. It was dark. You couldn’t move,” Barazzutti said. “That must be what it’s like to play Nadal.”
Nearly two hours after the match, Nadal and more than a dozen others gathered on the court for a photo session of the sort you might see at a wedding. First, everyone stood together for a picture.
Then came various two-person poses: Rafa with Dad, with Uncle Toni, with his buddy Pau Gasol of the Lakers.
Might seem a tad over-the-top for a guy who’s done this so many times.
Then again, you only win your seventh French Open trophy once.