Rafael Nadal Wins French Open For Record-Setting Eighth Time

Rafael Nadal proved once again that he is the king of the court at the French Open. Nadal faced off against David Ferrer and pulled off an easy 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 win on Sunday afternoon.

After returning to play during a seven-month layoff in which he nursed a sore knee, Nadal told reporters that his victory is “one of the more special ones.”

With his new title in tow, Rafael Nadal became the first man to win eight Grand Slam titles at any single major.

The win provides Nadal with his 12th overall grand slam title, tying him for third place with Roy Emerson. Nadal still has a way to go if he wants to catch number two leader Pete Sampras (14) and overall grand slam title holder Roger Federer, who has racked up 17 grand slam titles.

The victory makes Nadal the second youngest player in tennis history to reach a dozen grand slam titles, second only to Roger Federer.

Nadal nearly didn’t make it to this years French Open finals after a tough match with Novak Djokovic in the semifinals. Nadal prevailed after playing through a nearly five hour match, which ended with a final score of 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 6-7 (3-7), 9-7.

With his victory, Rafael Nadal is now 59-1 in Paris with his only loss to Robin Soderling during the fourth round of play in 2009.

Rafael Nadal specifically chose to make his return at the French Open because the clay surface is easier on his knees. That familiar clay surface allowed Nadal to quickly find his footing.

That win leaves Nadal with a 12-5 record during grand slam title play.

With Rafael Nadal winning the French Open on the men’s side and Serena Williams claiming a victory on the women’s side, it was pretty much business as usual over the weekend.

Are you surprised that Rafael Nadal was able to pull off a French Open win after seven months off the court?

[Image via BleacherReport]