Rafael Nadal’s reign at Roland Garros ended after four years of consecutive conquests and thirteen championship titles. Novak Djokovic , the same one who took him out of the box for the last time in 2016, was proclaimed the winner in a memorable match (3-6, 6-3, 7-6, 6-2) that goes directly to the select group of the best of history and in which both deserved to qualify for the final. The Serbian proved his status as number one in the world and was more assertive in the key moments of this ode to tennis that must be remembered, beyond Nadal’s third defeat in 17 years at Roland Garros, for the monument that the two greatest in history drew in the evening of Paris.
Chapter 58 of the duels between Nadal and Djokovic was held on the same stage as the first and the penultimate. In both, Rafa accumulated strategic victories that were now remembered as a mere fact, since the rivalry continued with a new episode in which the two tennis players arrived on equal terms and ready to give their best for the victory.
The Nadal-Djokovic has reached a dose of mysticism comparable to those of any sporting duel. The meeting between the Spaniard and the Serbian has become the Lakers-Celtics, a Madrid-Barça of tennis with practically all the fans focused on one side and the Spaniard, with very few exceptions, with the thirteen-time Roland Garros champion .
Despite the fact that a Nadal-Djokovic is synonymous with an end, an incomparable match, this time the duel corresponded to a semi-final , with a place in the title match at stake. Tsitsipas , after beating Zverev, waited for one of the two dominating tennis players of the last decade in the final. The number one or the king of the clay. A real party scandal.
The battle started late due to the long duration of the Tsitsipas-Zverev, something that a priori did not benefit Nadal . The later the colder, the heavier the night and the less effects for the ball, but Rafa was prepared to take advantage of the remaining minutes of sunshine in the Philippe Chatrier. Djokovic, and it is an evil that had accompanied him in other moments of the tournament, began confused at the service and Rafa executed him up to two times to put an unreal 5-0 in the light as soon as he started.
Rafa starts sweeping
Nadal had struck first, but Nole’s disconnection came too early and in plenty of time to plug the cable back in. The beating of the 2020 final was surely around the Serbian’s head, but instead of frustration, self-love flourished in him, which allowed him to recover one of the breaks and place himself, after almost an hour of the game, at a single break to return equality.
In this type of encounter it is difficult to return each blow, but nothing like closing the sets. Rafa, imprecise in his opportunities , had to wait until the seventh, but his right took him to a point where Djokovic, knocked out, could not help but give up to give his intimate enemy the first set of the match. The start was worth Rafa to hit first.
Novak had started with his uphill, from a very low point, but his ascent would continue in the second set. The failure of the first did not make a dent and as soon as he began his revenge, the result was favorable. Nadal gave up his serve at the first exchange rate and gave dominance to Djokovic, who led but also had to maintain many services until his advantage culminated in something tangible and immovable.
Rafa squeezed in almost every game and had chances to break the rest by more than one , but his triumphs were succeeded only by serving in favor and this placed him in a position of absolute disadvantage at the decisive moment. Suffering greater reliability at key moments -especially a failure with the backhand- the manacorense gave up the second set after two hours of legendary fight that caused, oddly enough, the appearance of a new match design, with draws and the best of three .
Djokovic comes to the game to make history
The crushing of each point, 50% tension and 50% physical, demanded a mental focus from another planet, one that can only provoke each other in a fight of legend. A real match madness , an ode to tennis for which the best was still waiting.
Nadal had gone to the locker room, leaving doubts about a physical state that could be glimpsed one point less with respect to freshness, worthy of mention of a resurrected Djokovic after his comeback to Musetti in the second round. Nole’s winning inertia allowed him to dominate with one gear less than Nadal, who was rowing against the current like no one so as not to lose face to the encounter. In the third he began hitting Djokovic with a break, equaled by Nadal with courage, heart and tennis, before a game to forget again gave the Serbian the leadership necessary to launch himself for the set.
The thirteen-time champion was against the ropes, with his rival serve in hand to lead 2-1 and more negative feelings on the mat. Anyone would have needed a miracle, but Rafa took the path of work and point by point he defied logic so that it ended up proving him right. The break was a reality and after a whirlwind of sensations, a shield to serve and swords at the top of the rest, the decision of the set went to the tie-break.
The king abdicates with honors
The set had already been one of the best in history, with maximum equality and alternatives almost at every point. In sudden death the details were going to weigh more than ever. Again points to remember, surreal, and a tension increased by the proximity of the French curfew, which would cause the eviction of the track. Any praise fell short for what Nadal had done , but when it came to putting the tie on him and as a result of exhaustion, he failed an affordable volley, which accompanied by two master strokes from Djokovic gave him the sleeve to the number one in the ATP ranking after 97 minutes fighting
Nadal, very tired but hurt in his pride, attacked like a wounded animal when Djokovic’s superiority had also reached the moral plane. The manacorense began with a break that lifted the public from their seats, but with the service weighing less than ever in a star duel, Nole would turn the scoreboard with up to two breaks that put the final in his hand. Rafa kept fighting, running until the last ball, but with the four hours of the match passed, Djokovic was able to kiss the ground, raise his arms and complete the best victory of his career , while Rafa says goodbye with honors and the king’s crown given to to recover it again in the next edition.
