Nadal keeps French Open party short
PARIS — Twice Rafael Nadal sprawled onto the clay he loves. He joined the crowd in applauding and shed tears of joy. Then the King of Clay posed for photos with the queen of Spain.
The celebration of Nadal's fifth French Open title was exuberant but brief. It didn't include plans for a party in Paris on Sunday night.
"Difficult to have a big celebration if you have to practice tomorrow," Nadal said.
Wimbledon awaits. The year's third and most prestigious Grand Slam tournament is only two weeks away, and Nadal wanted to begin his grass-court preparations Monday.
The switch in surfaces comes after he completed an undefeated clay-court season Sunday by beating Robin Soderling in the final at Roland Garros, 6-4, 6-2, 6-4. With the win, Nadal regained the No. 1 ranking from Roger Federer, magnifying the stakes should the two meet in the Wimbledon final July 4.
Their rivalry has been dormant lately — they've met only once in the past year, and haven't played each other in a Grand Slam tournament since February 2009.
There was no showdown at Roland Garros because defending champion Federer lost to Soderling in the quarterfinals. And there was no showdown at Wimbledon last year because Nadal missed the tournament with knee trouble after beating Federer in the dramatic 2008 final.
Now Nadal's healthy again and riding a 22-match winning streak. He'll play the grass-court warmup event at Queen's this week, and he'll be seeded No. 1 at the All England Club.
Nadal figures the title in Paris helps his chances in London.
"Confidence always is the most important thing," he said. "So winning here and winning the last 22 matches on clay is always very good preparation for grass."
The victory at Roland Garros capped Nadal's comeback from a tumultuous 2009, when he endured tendinitis in both knees and the separation of his parents. That's why the win left him sobbing — uncommon for Nadal.
"It's the most emotional day in my career," Nadal told the crowd in French during the trophy ceremony.
His slump last year included a loss to Soderling in the fourth round at Roland Garros. He avenged that defeat and now has a career record of 38-1 in the tournament.
"Apparently my game is perfectly suited to this surface," Nadal said. "I love it with all my heart, because it gave me so much joy."
