Rafael Nadal has won an amazing 12th Roland Garros title after beating Dominic Thiem in four sets on Sunday.
In a rematch of the 2018 final in Paris, Nadal was victorious again, winning 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1.
Nadal fell behind an early break in a high-quality first set but responded strongly, winning the next four games to take control of the match.
King of Clay.@RafaelNadal | #RG19 pic.twitter.com/yNERwE6See
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 9, 2019
Thiem fought back impressively to take the second set – the first time he has won a set in four Roland Garros matches against Nadal – but that only triggered a vicious response from the King of Clay, who won the first 11 points of the third set and broke twice to take a stranglehold on the match.
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It is Nadal’s third straight Roland Garros title and is one that delivers him an 18th major singles title, putting him just two behind all-time men’s leader Roger Federer.
The Spaniard becomes the first player in tennis history – male or female, amateur or professional era – to win the same Grand Slam singles title 12 times.