Rafael Nadal poses with ball girls and boys as he celebrates winning the men’s final match of the French Open tennis tournament against Austria’s Dominic Thiem in three sets 6-4, 6-3, 6-2, at the Roland Garros Stadium in Paris, France. / AP
Paris — Rafael Nadal’s 11th French Open title raised his Grand Slam trophy count to 17, three away from the men’s record held by Roger Federer.
That doesn’t necessarily mean Nadal is fixated on catching his rival.
“Of course I would love to have 20, like Roger, in the future — or even more,” Nadal said Sunday evening after beating Dominic Thiem 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 in the final at Roland Garros, “but being honest, (it’s) something that is not in my mind.”
He added that it’s not an “obsession.”
“Let me enjoy this title,” Nadal said. “I can’t be always thinking of more. Of course, I have ambition. Of course, I have passion for what I am doing. But I never have been crazy about all this kind of stuff. No, you can’t be frustrated always if somebody has more money than you, if somebody have a bigger house than you, if somebody have more Grand Slams than you. You can’t live with that feeling, no?”
Nadal’s uncle, Toni, who used to also be his coach, attended Sunday’s match and was asked afterward whether Rafael can pull even with Federer.
“I want to think that is possible,” Toni said. “But I know (that) maybe in one month, Federer will win again Wimbledon.”
Federer, of course, sat out the French Open to rest and prepare for the grass-court season. He did the same a year ago, and then went on to claim his record eighth championship at the All England Club, where play begins July 2.
The only man with more titles at a single major is Nadal in Paris. He is now 86-2 at the French Open — and, by the looks of things, as good as ever at the place.