Rafael Nadal’s latest win at Roland Garros was his 14th victory in Paris and his 22nd Grand Slam title overall, two more than each of his rivals, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic
have been triply blessed over the past 20 years in witnessing three of the greatest male players the game has ever seen. Roger Federer is loved the world over for the grace of his play, including his glorious one-handed backhand; Novak Djokovic is more grudgingly admired for his immense athleticism and intense competitiveness.
It is worth reflecting on those French victories; 14 years is longer than many tennis players’ entire careers. The closest equivalent was Margaret Court, who managed 11 Australian Open titles. The left-handed Mr Nadal does not have an overwhelming serve. Whereas both Messrs Federer and Djokovic rank in the top 20 tennis professionals in terms of career aces, the Spaniard is only 57th. But on clay, where rallies tend to last longer, this is less of a disadvantage than on the grass of Wimbledon, where Mr Nadal has won only two titles.