'18 Grand Slams, 12 Roland-Garros titles, 1 Rafael Nadal': Spaniard turns History Man at French Open

Rafael Nal swept to a historic 12th Roland Garros title and 18th Grand Slam crown on Sunday with a 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 victory over Austria's Dominic Thiem. 

33-year-old Spaniard becomes first player, man or woman, to win same Slam 12 times after seeing off a brave challenge from a weary Thiem in a repeat of 2018 final. 

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Nal is w just two behind Roger Federer's all-time record of 20 majors and three ahe of vak Djokovic who was kcked out by Thiem in semi-finals. 

world number two also took his Paris record to an astonishing 93 wins and just two losses having previously won title in 2005-2008, 2010-2014, 2017 and 2018. 

Sunday's triumph confirmed 'Big Three' stranglehold on Grand Slams having shared last 10 between m. 

It also gave Nal an 82nd career title and 950th match win. 

In a 53-minute first set of brutal hitting and raw physicality, it was Thiem who broke first for a 3-2 le. 

But 25-year-old's joy was short-lived as Nal retrieved break in sixth game before racing away with next three games to pocket opener. 

Thiem, who h beaten his opponent four times on clay in his career, failed to claim a single point off Nal's first five service games of second set. 

 However, dogged Austrian pushed and pushed, forced Nal into three rushed groundstrokes and, from where, broke to take second set. 

It was first set he h mand to take off Nal at Roland Garros after three previous defeats. 

Nal was riled by insult. 

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He swept first 10 points of third set, carving out a double break for 3-0 before sweeping to a third break for set. 

Thiem, bidding to become just Austria's second Grand Slam champion after Thomas Muster won in Paris in 1995, h played four successive days to reach Sunday's final and toll was slowly telling. 

He wasted break points in first and third games of fourth set and Nal pounced to stretch to 3-0. 

That was soon 5-1 and relentless barr continued with Nal taking title on a second match point when Thiem fired a return long.