Rafael Nadal clinched his 13th Roland Garros title during the 2020 season, following a flawless campaign in Paris.
The Spaniard did not drop a set through the entirety of his run, beating the likes of Sebastian Korda, Jannik Sinner and Diego Schwartzman en route to the final.
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Nadal took on Novak Djokovic in the championship match and defeated the Serb in straight sets, 6-0, 6-2, 7-5.
With his triumph, the ‘King of Clay’ tied Roger Federer‘s then-record tally of 20-Grand Slam titles.
Novak Djokovic’s reaction after losing the 2020 Roland Garros final
Speaking in his post-match press conference after the defeat that day, Djokovic said: “Well, I don’t have much to say but that I was completely overplayed by Rafa, by better player on the court.
“I mean, he was not missing at all and getting every ball back, just playing tactically great.
“I mean, I felt well throughout the entire tournament. I thought I was in a great form. Certainly I could have played better, especially in the first two sets.
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“But, you know, just he did surprise me with the way he was playing, the quality of tennis he was producing, the level. I mean, he’s phenomenal. He played a perfect match, especially in the first two sets.
“Yeah, I mean, the third set I managed to come back. I kind of found my groove on the court. Then, yeah, couple of close games.
“Had my chance, didn’t use them. He closed out the match. That’s it. He was the far better player on the court today and absolutely deserved to win.”
Novak Djokovic’s high praise for Rafael Nadal after the loss
Nadal earned his 27th victory over Djokovic, who had incredibly high praise for his conqueror.
Djokovic said: “He keeps going. No holding him back it seems like. It’s amazing. I mean, I admire all his achievements.
“I mean, especially the one here. It’s stunning score and results and records that he’s got on this court.
“I mean, he lost two times in his entire career. Winning 13 times, yeah, there’s not much you can say. All the superlatives you can use, he deserves them.”
The head-to-head ultimately ended 31-29 in favour of Djokovic, who won their last meeting at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
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