Rafael Nadal beat David Ferrer in the French Open final to become the first man in tennis history to win the same Grand Slam event eight times.
Nadal defeated his fellow Spaniard 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 on a cold, rainy day on the main Court Philippe Chatrier at Roland Garros in Paris.
It also gave Nadal his 59th win out of 60 matches played in Paris.
“I never like to compare years, but it’s true that this year means something very special for me,” Nadal said after his record-breaking win, alluding to the way he managed to come back from a left knee injury that sidelined him for about seven months.
Nadal won four French Opens in a row from 2005-08, and another four in a row from 2010-13.
“Rafael was better than me,” said Ferrer, who had won all 18 sets he’d played the past two weeks to reach his first Grand Slam final at age 31. “He didn’t make mistakes.”
