Rafael Nadal wins 2022 French Open, seals 22nd Grand Slam title

By Can Erozden

ANKARA (AA) - Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal won the 2022 French Open in men's singles, which is his 22nd Grand Slam title.

The fifth-seed Nadal, 36, beat world No. 8 Casper Ruud from Norway 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 in the final held at Paris' Court Philippe-Chatrier.

Ruud was leading the second set 3-1 but Nadal came back from the deficit to take a 6-3 win in that set, lowering his Norwegian opponent's guard on the clay court.

Nadal seemed comfortable to dominate the third set, winning it 6-0.

Ruud, 23, became the first Norwegian man to play a Grand Slam final.

Sunday's final lasted for two hours and 18 minutes.

Nadal, who is called the King of Clay, holds the record for the most French Open winner with 14 titles in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2022.

He had sealed the record for the most Grand Slam singles titles in men's tennis history after winning the 2022 Australian Open in January, surpassing Switzerland's Roger Federer and Serbian top seed Novak Djokovic.

Federer and Djokovic bagged 20 Grand Slam titles each.