Rafael Nadal was praised from his peers for a breathtaking show at French Open. (Source: Reuters)
As Stan Wawrinka sliced a tame backhand into the net, Rafael Nadal collapsed to the ground in sheer joy and you wouldn’t even question it or find it overdone for the Spaniard had just won his tenth French Open title. ‘La Decima’ as it is called in Spanish – the tenth. His words after lifting the trophy remained calm and courteous despite the high of the situation and in winning his 15th Grand Slam – three behind Roger Federer.Β “I’m a little emotional. It’s really incredible. To win La Decima is very, very special,” Nadal said before getting to clamp his jaws on La Coupe des Mousquetaires. “The nerves and adrenaline I feel on this court is impossible to compare.”
His 6-2, 6-3, 6-1 win in just over two hours highlighted how dominant Nadal had been throughout the tournament as he swept aside one opponent after another to drop just 35 games and not conceding any sets. Wawrinka, in comparison, had played five hours more than Nadal and looked tired in stages but Nadal’s brutality under the searing Paris heat also played into his hands.
His peers too applauded his achievement with former, current players on both sides of the tour and coaches hailing Nadal’s brilliance.
Es una locura lo de @RafaelNadal ππ½ππ½ππ½ππ½ππ½ππ½ππ½ππ½ππ½ππ½ππ½ππ½ @rolandgarros #RG17 π pic.twitter.com/7Ui8Y2Odir
β Gabriela Sabatini (@sabatinigabyok) 11 June 2017
It is so cool to have played in the era of Federer and Nadal. The two greatest players of all time in the same era. Amazing. Congrats Rafa
β Mardy Fish (@MardyFish) 11 June 2017
10 …… 10 ……. 10 ….. you can say it as much as you want. It’s so not normal. Huge respect for @RafaelNadal .. pleasure to watch
β andyroddick (@andyroddick) 11 June 2017
Rafael Nadal!! Γnico πΎ1οΈβ£0οΈβ£ pic.twitter.com/PvAdiVuh2o
β David Ferrer (@DavidFerrer87) 11 June 2017
Rafael Nadal!! Γnico πΎ1οΈβ£0οΈβ£ pic.twitter.com/PvAdiVuh2o
β David Ferrer (@DavidFerrer87) 11 June 2017
Vamoos Rafaa!!! No eres de este planeta @RafaelNadal… La leyenda sigue creciendo!! ππ Not from this planet @RafaelNadal!!! πΎπͺ pic.twitter.com/IryHVJGPtf
β Carolina Marin (@CarolinaMarin) 11 June 2017
What if we would have 2 grand slams on clay?
Que barbaridad @RafaelNadal @rolandgarros
ππ»ππ»ππ»ππ»β Tommy Robredo (@TRobredo) 11 June 2017
Congrats @RafaelNadal #champ #unreal
β victoria azarenka (@vika7) 11 June 2017
Crying with you @RafaelNadal Best of the bestβπΌ #10 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
β Daria Kasatkina (@DKasatkina) 11 June 2017
@RafaelNadal 10 π @rolandgarros
β Fernando Verdasco (@FerVerdasco) 11 June 2017
@RafaelNadal 10 π @rolandgarros
β Fernando Verdasco (@FerVerdasco) 11 June 2017
Simply to good. Congrats to Rafa and his team. Amazing 10 Roland GarrosππΎππΌ
β Magnus Norman (@normansweden) 11 June 2017
HistΓ³rico e irrepetible, @RafaelNadal.
SΓ³lo queda πππ
β Juan M. del Potro (@delpotrojuan) June 11, 2017
Nadal also thanked his uncle and coach Toni who would be stepping down at the end of the year having been with him since an age of four. Toni was joined on the presentation too with Nadal praising his uncle, “Without my uncle I would not have won 10 trophies.”
