Eight.
That’s the magic number. It must be magic, right?
To win eight Grand Slam titles at the same event seems impossible. But on Sunday at Roland Garros, Rafael Nadal was a magician.
When rafa won his first French open, my trainer @dougspreen said w zero doubt, that he thought he’d win 8 FO …. I told him he was crazy.
— andyroddick (@andyroddick) June 10, 2013
Eight years ago, Nadal won his first RG title. Now he has, EIGHT! Well done, @rafaelnadal #RG13 twitter.com/rolandgarros/s… — Roland Garros (@rolandgarros) June 9, 2013
Let’s state the obvious: to win eight French Open titles in nine years is an incredible feat and one that will likely never be matched.
The more I think about Nadal the more astonishing I realize it is that @rafaelnadal has won 8 out 9 last @rolandgarros Beyond Belief#RG13
— Billie Jean King (@BillieJKing) June 9, 2013
The tennis season consists of eleven grueling months with little rest. Each week players travel from tournament to tournament, city to city, and continent to continent. And because it’s an individual sport, they can’t slip up. One bad day and you’re gone.
For nine years, Nadal has only slipped up once in Paris, back in 2009 when Robin Soderling upset him in the fourth round.
And while Nadal has continued to perform at the French Open, his body hasn’t been of much help.
In February, Nadal returned from a seven-month lay off due to a lingering knee injury. Everyone, including Nadal himself, was concerned about whether or not he’d ever be his old, dominant self.
Since Nadal has been back, he’s reached the final in all nine tournaments that he’s played in, and he’s won seven. Looks like he’s back.
The 27-years-old Nadal is a 12-time Grand Slam champion, and only trails Pete Sampras who has 14 and Roger Federer who has 17 titles for the most ever in ATP history.
Nadal isn’t 100 per cent healthy; he has admitted it. But Nadal is so good that he can dominate opponents when he’s not even at his best.
Can Nadal win nine, ten, and even eleven French Open titles? Sure, but only if his body holds up.