French Open: Świątek, Nadal take all

June 6, 2022
Sports NewsTennis
French Open: Świątek, Nadal take all
SOURCE: RYAN PIERSE/GETTY IMAGES

The GIST: Two of tennis’ best shined brightest in the City of Lights, with women’s No. 1 Iga Świątek and men’s No. 4 Rafael Nadal turning in historic finals performances to round out an epic two weeks at Roland-Garros.

Men’s: Nadal further cemented his “King of Clay” status yesterday, withstanding injury to defeat No. 8 seed Casper Ruud in straight sets and claim a record-extending 14th French Open title.

  • A fun fact? The victory made 36-year-old Rafa the oldest men’s singles champion in French Open history, and it came on the exact date Nadal won his first French Open title back in 2005.
  • The win also extended Nadal’s record for most men’s Grand Slam victories. With 22 titles, he’s now two ahead of fellow Big Three members Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.

Women’s: It was a similar story of dominance in the women’s draw as Świątek topped No. 18 seed Coco Gauff in straight sets on Saturday to win her second French Open trophy and her 35th straight match, tying Venus Williams for the longest win streak on the WTA tour this century. Damn.

  • As for Gauff, the 18-year-old held her head high after reaching her first career Grand Slam final, using her platform for advocacy and handling the loss with incredible poise and grace.