Former British number one, Greg Rusedski says “Rafael Nadal’s record tally of 12 French Open titles will still be talked about in 200 years”.
Rafael Nadal, 33, is the first player to win a dozen singles titles at the same Grand Slam. The former US Open finalist Rusedski said this is an unbreakable record. The spanish second seed beat Austria’s Dominic Thiem 6-3- 5-7- 6-1-6-1 in Sunday’s final at Roland-Garros.
Rafael Nadal’s third successive win on the Paris clay moved him clear of Margaret Court’s tally of 11 Australian Open titles.
The Spaniard is the second player to win the same tour singles event a dozen times, with Martina Navratilova having won 12 titles at Chicago between 1978 and 1992.
“Most players don’t win 12 titles in their careers, he has won 12 clay-court majors at Roland-Garros; when we’re dead, in 200 years from now, people will still be talking about Rafael Nadal winning 12 French Opens; It is incomprehensible ” Rusedski said.
By beating 25-year-old Thiem for the second successive year in the final, Nadal increased his tally to 18 major triumphs.

Only long-time rival Roger Federer has won more Grand Slams, sitting two ahead of the Mallorcan in the all-time list of men’s singles triumphs.Serb world number one Novak Djokovic, who was denied the chance to hold all four Slams at the same time by Thiem in the semi-finals, is now three behind Nadal.

Britain’s Andy Murray was the last player under 30 to win a Grand Slam men’s singles title when he won Wimbledon aged 29 in 2016.

Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic have won the past 10 Grand Slam titles between them.