If Benjamin Franklin were alive today, he’d have to amend his belief that death and taxes are life’s only certainties and add a third – Rafael Nadal winning the French Open.
The Spaniard secured an 11th title at Roland Garros on Sunday and 17th major of his career. He now has 86 match wins on Paris’ famous crushed red brick against just two defeats in 13 years.
Nadal hailed his 11th French Open title as “just incredible” after he demolished Austria’s Dominic Thiem 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 despite a worrying injury scare in the closing stages of Sunday’s final.
Witness history.
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 10, 2018
Congratulations on Roland-Garros title No.11 @RafaelNadal!#RG18 pic.twitter.com/Pzorl5PnZj
ICONIC
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) June 10, 2018
With an 11th trophy lift, @RafaelNadal moves to a 86-2 record at @rolandgarros 😳#RG18pic.twitter.com/xs5DzSyu3X
Most Grand Slam singles titles at a single Grand Slam tournament
— Christopher Clarey (@christophclarey) June 10, 2018
Rafael Nadal 11 (French Open)
Margaret Court 11 (Australian Championships/Open)
longevity (noun) -- Nadal winning French Opens 13 years apart, a fact which will understandab - #Oui get lost in the avalanche of other numbers greeting each and every #RolandGarros / major title from any member of the Big 3 in this #GoldenEra.#AccentRG
— Matt Zemek (@mzemek) June 10, 2018
Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have combined to win the last six Grand Slam events.
— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) June 10, 2018
They first accomplished that in 2006.
It's now 2018. #RG18
The last time both Men's & Women's #1 seed won the RG title?
— Steph Trudel (@TrudelSteph) June 10, 2018
1992 Jim Courier & Monica Seles#RG18
*Nine* days on court. Many in humid conditions. A rival 7+ years younger.
— Trenton Jocz (@TrentonJocz) June 10, 2018
Rafael Nadal is the 1st man to win the French Open twice in his 30s. #RG18
Tributes poured in from the tennis community
The legend grows. Again.@RafaelNadal claims his 11th @rolandgarros title, beating Dominic Thiem 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 in the #RG18 final 👏 pic.twitter.com/14VKHaN628
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) June 10, 2018
🏆Nadal
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) June 10, 2018
🏆Defeats
🏆Thiem
🏆To
🏆Win
🏆His
🏆11th
🏆Title
🏆In
🏆Roland
🏆Garros
Congratulations to the undisputed 👑 of clay, @RafaelNadal!
____________________
📸: 2016 #USOpen pic.twitter.com/sRWYu12Y45
Vamos, Rafa! Nadal d. Thiem 64 63 62 to end another epic #RolandGarros.
— ATP World Tour (@ATPWorldTour) June 10, 2018
✅ 1️⃣1️⃣th #RolandGarros 🏆
✅ 1️⃣7️⃣th Grand Slam 🏆
✅ 8️⃣6️⃣-2️⃣ in Paris
More ➡️ https://t.co/yGaz0HGYTW pic.twitter.com/PeOMtdW5QR
Again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again.
— Nike (@Nike) June 10, 2018
⠀
A historic 11 majors on clay, and counting. @RafaelNadal #nike #justdoit pic.twitter.com/EgdPZ5k1kD
Escribiendo una historia cada vez más increíble, @RafaelNadal. Felicitaciones por #laundecima! 🙌 #RG18
— Juan M. del Potro (@delpotrojuan) June 10, 2018
So much respect for Rafa! Idol
— Daria Gavrilova (@Daria_gav) June 10, 2018
A big congratulations to @RafaelNadal on an unprecedented 11th @rolandgarros Championship! A really incredible achievement 🙌
— Kevin Anderson (@KAndersonATP) June 10, 2018
Raafffaaaa #11 #GOAT so unbelievable 🏆 congratulations!!!! @RafaelNadal
— Sania Mirza (@MirzaSania) June 10, 2018
Enorme @RafaelNadal 11 Roland Garros!!!😍 “King of clay” 👑🎾👏👏👏👏👏👏 #crack #laundecima #VamosRafa11 #RG18 pic.twitter.com/sqMv8Jdjlh
— Gabriela Sabatini (@sabatinigabyok) June 10, 2018
With his 11th @rolandgarros title #Nadal again proves why winning a best-of-five set match on clay against him is the toughest task in all of tennis. Arguably all of sport. #RG18
— Pat Cash (@TheRealPatCash) June 10, 2018
Interesting perspectives
The only man to win a set vs Nadal at #RolandGarros since 2015. pic.twitter.com/QFvWsnUDFd
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) June 10, 2018
Borg and Laver have 11 majors in total. King of clay has 11 in just a single major. Ridiculous numbers.
— Shreyas Pasricha (@shreyas89) June 10, 2018
One more Rafa note, eleven French Open titles yes, but even more impressive. He's done it not as a transition figure, but toe-to-toe with two other men who could arguably lay claim to the mantle of being the greatest ever. Doff the chapeau, indeed #RG18
— Vito Ellison (@VitoEllison) June 10, 2018
And jokes, of course
Rafael Nadal wins Rafael Nadal Open!! pic.twitter.com/15mXE82qNB
— Troll Tennis (@TrollTennis) June 10, 2018
The year is 2038. 58 year old Rafa Nadal has won The French Open again. pic.twitter.com/IT3w2Addh3
— Eric Kotchi (@ekotchi) June 10, 2018
With inputs from AFP