Rafael Nadal has just captured his fifth French Open title, defeating Robin Soderling in straight sets 6-4, 6-2, 6-4. In edging Soderling, the quirky Swede who surprisingly ousted the Spaniard last year in Paris, Nadal also seizes the world No. 1 from Roger Federer.
The match ends a marvelous run for Nadal at this year’s French Open, where he didn’t drop a single set the entire tournament — the second time he’s done so at Roland Garros. Although Soderling posed a significant challenge considering their history, Nadal’s dominance on clay, particularly at this event, was on display from the start.
Next up: Wimbledon. What Roland Garros is to Nadal, the All England Lawn and Croquet Club is to Federer. Curiously, Nadal is not optimistic about his chances at the event. Today, in a post-match interview with John McEnroe, Nadal told Mac the next he would him see would be the U.S. Open. Hopefully Nadal is just being coy.
