June 5 (UPI) -- No. 5 seed Rafael Nadal crushed Casper Ruud in straight sets Sunday to capture his 14th French Open championship and 22nd Grand Slam title overall.
Nadal, who turned 36 on Friday, overwhelmed the eighth-seeded Ruud 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 in the men's final at Roland Garros, becoming the oldest winner in the history of the clay-court major tournament. Previously, the oldest champion in French Open history was Andres Gimeno, who was 34 when he won in 1972.
"For me, personally, it's very difficult to describe the feelings that I have," said Nadal, who also thanked his family and support team during the trophy ceremony. "It's something that I, for sure, never believed -- to be here at 36, being competitive again, playing in the most favorite court of my career, one more time in the final.
"It means a lot to me. Means everything. ... I don't know what can happen in the future, but I'm going to keep fighting to try to keep going."
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