Rafa Nadal writes a new epic page on Roland Garros dethroning Djokovic

Rafa Nadal beat Novak Djokovic in four sets (6-4, 2-6, 6-2 and 7-6) which seemed like four days. A match that ended in the morning after four hours of play. The organizers of the tournament were clear that the match should end without interruptions, even if it was time to play until the sun came up. And at times it seemed like it would take a fifth set between two players who have been facing each other all their lives, like the duelists in Joseph Conrad’s novel. They are now mentioned in duels on grass, now on clay. Now one wins, now the other wins. Djokovic, who after becoming the best player in the world bears the cross of his sins for not wanting to be vaccinated and lying to the Australian authorities, has seen Christmas leave him without the crown he wore on his head a long time ago. year in Paris. The Serb, number 1 in the world, wanted to revalidate the title at Roland Garros to make it clear that he is still king, but Nadal had a different idea. As the French crowd applauded Nadal, Djokovic walked away without greeting him, angry with a fan who has turned his back on him more for his position on the shots than for his game, which is still delicious.

The German Alexander Zverev will be the rival of the manacorí in the semifinals. A Christmas that he didn’t want to play around at night because he doesn’t like how he throws the ball or has less time to rest. In fact, he had even said that this could be his last game at Roland Garros, suffering as a result of injuries. But he will play one more, for now. And as he does, it seems tricky for Zverev to leave him out of the final. Despite the physical problems that the Manacor player has suffered this season, he has once again arrived in good shape at the French meeting. And look, Nadal arrived more tired, having needed five sets to reach the quarterfinals, suffering against the Canadian coached by his uncle Toni Nadal, Félix Auger-Aliassime. Does not matter. Nadal has taken a Djokovic who had just won the tournament in Rome and had not lost a single set so far. In fact, he had won 22 consecutive sets, between the Rome tournament and Roland Garros.

16 years of rivalry

It has been a new episode of a rivalry that has not been in a duel for a year now. A rivalry that had begun right here, in the quarterfinals of Roland Garros, when on June 7, 2006 Nadal defeated Serbian Novak Djokovic, who retired due to physical problems. Now the one who arrived touched was Nadal, who a few weeks ago had trouble walking, but has recovered in time to play as if he were still 20 years old. When the important appointments arrive, the Mallorcan undergoes a metamorphosis. In fact, Djokovic has won more direct duels (30 to 29), but in matches of the four big tournaments, Nadal rules (11 to 8).

Djokovic, one of only two players to have beaten Manacor in the French tournament along with Swede Robin Soderling, who did so in 2009, has not been able to feel comfortable in a first set that Nadal has already started with a break. In the second Djokovic raised his game, in a marathon that never seemed to end, as a single game lasted 18 minutes. 18 minutes to decant a game, in a titanic fight in which the two have deployed on the central court the best repertoire of strokes. But it was Nadal who managed to be more focused, managing to score a third set where he threw more strategy, than strength. Djokovic started the fourth set visibly nervous, hitting the net with the racket, but was 5-2 in favor. But the Manacor player returned to him every time, doing a lot of damage with his shots in parallel. Like other times, Nadal has found a way out when he seems imprisoned, proving allergic to defeat, always finding a way to get up when he gets hit. In the end, he won the match in the tie break of the fourth set. The Mallorcan, who a few months ago managed to be the first player to reach the 21 Grand Slam titles in Australia, breaking the tie he had with Djokovic and Federer, now aspires to win 14 times on French clay. No player has ever won the same Grand Slam tournament 10 times. He only did it, 13 times. And now he’s looking for the fourteenth. The next rival will be the executioner of the young Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev. Without Djokovic, Alcaraz or Medvedev, the favorite is Christmas again. As always.