Rafael Nadal now picks his favourite French Open title he ever won during his career

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Rafael Nadal is the greatest champion in the history of the French Open, with domination unlike anything that the sporting world has ever seen.

His 14 titles in Paris mark the most any tennis player has ever won at a single event, and to do it at a tournament of this magnitude is stunning.

However, this is not new information.

Rafael Nadal has deservedly been lauded for years now for this achievement, with his retirement last year solidifying his legacy as an all-time great.

With so many to choose from, many might think that the supreme Spaniard would struggle to name his favourite of the 14 French Open titles he won. They would be wrong.

Rafael Nadal names his favourite Roland Garros final

Speaking on Roland Garros’ official X account, his answer was a simple one, only having to think back to five years ago when he won the 2020 edition of the event.

He admitted, when asked to name his favourite final: “Maybe the first two sets of the 2020 final. Very, very special.”

Nadal continued, explaining the context behind his eventual thrashing of Novak Djokovic: “It was the year of COVID. We played Roland Garros much later in the season, much colder conditions against Novak [Djokovic] in the final, with the feeling that probably was the year that I was, you know, less favoured.

“I was able to get to the final and then in the final, I was able to increase my level of tennis in a very special way, so that two sets, I think, I think so special.”

Just six years earlier, Nadal had said if he was glad that Djokovic existed. His answer is an ironic one, given how that final played out.

The most one-sided men’s Grand Slam finals in history

Although that 2020 French Open final was severely one-sided, it actually does not rank amongst the most dominant wins in Grand Slam final history.

After all, despite bagelling the Serbian on his way to a 6-0, 6-2, 7-5 victory, there have been many scorelines more lopsided than that.

Unsurprisingly, Nadal has delivered a few of them himself, allowing Casper Ruud and Stan Wawrinka just six games in their respective Roland Garros finals in 2022 and 2017.

And, his 2008 final win over Roger Federer saw him drop just four games, winning 6-1, 6-3, 6-0.

John McEnroe’s win over Jimmy Connors in the 1984 Wimbledon final was similarly dominant.

However, the most overwhelming major final victory of all time came back in 1974, when Jimmy Connors defeated Ken Rosewall, conceding just two games in his 6-1, 6-0, 6-1 annihilation of the Australian.