World’s No. 1 Iga Swiatek is a proud owner of another French Open trophy after she defeated American teenager Coco Gauff in two sets (6-1, 6-3) in the 2020 Roland Garros women’s finals on Saturday. A day after, Rafael Nadal dismantled Casper Rudd in three sets (6-3, 6-3, 6-0) to claim his 14th French Open title and 22nd Grand Slam.
Swiatek won the 2020 French Open but was surprisingly stopped last year when Maria Sakkari beat her in the fourth round. However, it was hard to see something similar happening this year. The 21-year-old Polish star entered the tournament riding a 28-match winning streak and proceeded to lose just one set en route to the finals match.
Gauff, playing in her first Grand Slam finals, did her best to keep the match competitive, but it was obvious that she was in over her head. Swiatek applied the pressure from the get-go and easily got the 6-1 win in the first set. Gauff managed to break in the first game and then take a 0-2 lead before becoming a victim of too many unforced errors. Swiatek quickly adjusted, made it two apiece, and then ran away with the win.
Men’s finals mirrored women’s to a certain degree. Nadal also took the first set with ease before getting in trouble in the second. Ruud got the 3-1 lead, and it seemed like we were in for a competitive match. Then, Nadal got dialed in and won the next 11 games to once again reclaim his throne as King of the Clay.
Nadal’s 14 titles at French Open are more than any other tennis player managed in a single tournament. Also, he now extended his record to 22nd Grand Slams and has two more compared to his closest followers, Roger Federer (20) and Novak Djokovic (20).
