By Sarah Alvanipour
Exclusive to VamosRafael.com
June 6, 2024
If strength was made of steel, then he would be the Eiffel Tower.
If determination was a wave, then he would be an ocean.
If heart was measured in height, then he would be a giant.
If tennis is sport, then Nadal is a champion.
For a fortnight, the phenom turned phenomenon, remained unstoppable and displayed poise beyond his 19 years. After falling to the court in victory, Nadal regained his composure in time to congratulate his opponent and to acknowledge the crowd as well one particularly important spectator, King Juan Carlos I of Spain, who along with his wife, Queen Sophia, was in attendance for the men�s final. As the Spanish national anthem serenaded Court Felipe Chatrier, the King looked on from the front row as one of his subjects made and an entire nation proud.
How fitting then that Nadal�s own coronation took place at the same, as he became a part of tennis royalty and crowned King of Clay. Roland Garros was now his palace and long may he reign.
Adding Up the Numbers
Rafael earned 1000 Entry System Rankings points for his win at Roland Garros, moving up to No. 3 in the world overtaking Andy Roddick and Marat Safin.
Another 200 points made him the Champions Race co-leader along with Roger Federer.
The 2005 French Open final was the first Grand Slam final contested between two left-handed players since the 1998 Australian Open (Korda def. Rios) and the first of its kind at Roland Garros since 1946.
This was Rafa�s 24th consecutive match win in five weeks, breaking an Open Era record set my a teenager since Andre Agassi�s streak of 23 matches in 1988.
Nadal won his sixth title of the year in seven finals to join Agassi as the first teenager to win that many titles in one year. Agassi reached that pinnacle in 1988 at the age of 18.
He is the fourth youngest French Open Champion behind Michael Chang (17 years and 95 days), Mats Wilander (17 years and 271 days), and Bjorn Borg (17 years, 361 days), respectively. Nadal was 19 years, 2 days old.
He is the first man since Mats Wilander (1982) to win Roland Garros in his debut.
Nadal leads the ATP with a 48-6 win-loss record for the year and tops three of ten stats (Points Won Returning First Serve and also Second Serve, Return Games Won) on the ATP�s official website (atptennis.com) and comes in second in another three categories (Second Serve Points Won, First Serve Percentage, Break Points Converted).
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