Eyes On The Prize
20-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal defeated rising star Stefanos Tsitsipas in an epic final at the Barcelona Open.
Sebastian Becerra, Léna De Lorenzi, Maria Riera, Martin Fontenla. April 27th.
Nadal outlasted Tsitsipas 6-4, 6-7(6), 7-5 in what was the longest 3-set match of the year going nearly four hours to win his record 12th Barcelona Open Title. It was just the third final meeting between top 5 players in tournament history. What made this victory extra special is that Rafa was match point down late in the third set. It’s the second time ever that he has come back from match point down to win a final. The only other time was in Rome in 2006 against none other than Roger Federer. It’s a true testament to Rafa’s mental toughness and ability to persevere during the most pivotal moments of the match.
The victory at Barcelona gives Rafa an astonishing 61 ATP Tour trophies on clay which is first in the Open Era - 12 more than Guillermo Vilas’ 49 clay court titles. The Spaniard is the only man in the Open Era to win a single tournament 10 or more times. He’s done it at three different events: Barcelona (12), Monte-Carlo (11), and Roland Garros (13). In best of 5 clay court matches Rafa is 35-1 against top 10 opponents. Another testament to his dominance is his 21 wins against the #1 seed which is the most all-time.
The Mallorca native is peaking at the right time with the French Open right around the corner. In a month’s time, Rafa will look to defend his title at Roland Garros - the site where he’s won 13 of his grand slams. This next grand slam could be monumental because a win would break the tie with Federer for most major championships of all-time. 21 is the magic number. The greatest of all-time debate will continue to intensify as the big three keep winning but Rafa must take advantage at his favorite grand slam. His 100-2 record at the French Open is likely untouchable. I can’t imagine anyone else even getting close to that level of dominance.
Roger Federer has been dealing with injuries over the last year and the #1-ranked Novak Djokovic lost to Asian Karatsev at the Serbia Open in his home country. Not only is Rafa the favorite coming into Roland Garros but it would be a shock if he dropped a set. In last year’s French Open victory he did not drop a set throughout the tournament. That’s the fourth time in his career he’s achieved that feat, a record as well, all at Roland Garros. As it currently stands Rafa and Roger are tied with 20 while Novak is three behind at 17 major titles. Rafa has a golden opportunity to stand alone at the top for the first time ever if he can win his 14th French Open. Regardless of what happens, we may never see another person be this dominant on one surface like Rafa is, he is the king of clay.
Photo credit: Léna De Lorenzi.
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