The 2022 French Open final will see Rafael Nadal gun for his 22nd Grand Slam title against a virtual outsider Casper Ruud who will make his maiden major final appearance. Get regular updates of the Nadal v Ruud final in this live blog on Sunday, June 5.
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Rafael Nadal v Casper Ruud Live Score
Nadal 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 Ruud (*denotes next server, please refresh for the latest score)
Other Nadal v Ruud Details
- Match Timing: Not Before 3 pm local time, 2 pm BST, 1 pm GMT, 9 am Eastern, 6.30 pm India, 10.30 pm Japan, 11.30 pm Melbourne.
- Nadal v Ruud Predictions & Tips Here
- Live Streaming & TV Options Here
Live Blog & Updates
3rd Set
Game 6
Ruud will now serve to avoid a bagel, and to stay in the match. Not the best start as Nadal easily wins the first point and a short rally later, he hits a backhand winner, his 35th for the match, to go 30-0 up on his opponent’s serve.
Nadal is brought into the net with a drop shot and while he gets to that and the next shot too, he fails to finish off the point to give Ruud a chance.
The Spaniard takes advantage of his opponent’s second serve, pushing him on to the back foot and then closes out with a backhand winner, earning a couple of Championships points in the process.
A backhand unforced error from Nadal allows Ruud a bit of a chance but he still has a second match-point. And Nadal wins it with a solid winner down the line to lift his 14th French Open title.
Game 5
A good serve from Nadal leads to the Spaniard getting himself on the board with a backhand winner and follows it up with a second good serve that brings out a Ruud error.
Nadal shows he’s human after all with an unforced error of his own as he looks to finish off the point in a hurry but gets himself two game-points off the next. And converts the very first one to get himself a chance to bagel his opponent.
Game 4
It looks like there’s not a lot of fuel left in Ruud’s play as he fails to put the points away. Goes 0-30 down and serves a wide serve with Nadal then taking advantage of his opponent’s second serve to get himself three break-points.
Ruud has a chance to get one point back with a volley at the net but hits an easy put-sway into net.
Nine games in a row for Nadal.
Game 3
Ruud looked like he had a chance there, getting to 30-30 on Nadal’s serve but the Spaniard wraps up the game with a couple of points. That’s 3-0 for Nadal and eight games in a row for the Spaniard.
Game 2
And a break of serve. Ruud would be wondering if this is it as he lets go of a 15-0 on his serve to get broken by the 13-time champion. That is his seventh game in a row for Nadal.
Game 1
An easy hold from Nadal helps him take the game first up easily to go 1-0 up.
2nd Set
Game 9
A very good rally ends with Nadal getting an opportunity to pull the trigger on an easy winner but instead finishing up hitting it wide. A relieved Ruud alright but Nadal dominates his second serve and ends up volleying a backhand cross court to level things out.
Superb running from both players but it’s Nadal who manages to survive the point as Ruud ends up shanking one long.
That was Nadal winning his 19th point out of the 28 which have gone to eight or more shots. An inside out winner from Nadal follows, giving him two set-points to get a two set to love lead but Ruud saves the first as the Spaniard ends up hitting it long.
And off the second, Ruud’s solid serve gives him bit of an advantage in the rally that ends with a Nadal backhand going wide. Nadal gets himself a return that puts Ruud off and he ends up dishing out a third set-point to Nadal.
Ruud utilises the angle and a long rally later forces Nadal to find the net, but yet again, the Spaniard overcomes an early hurdle off the next point to get his fourth set-point.
A double-fault gives Nadal the set. Poor from Ruud but he is up against the best by some distance.
Not too long ago, Ruud was 3-1 up. He has lost the set 6-3.
Game 8
Excellent serving from Nadal gives him three game-points in a jiffy. Ruud had made a solid start to this set but has fallen behind rather quickly and that is exemplified in the manner in which Nadal holds with an ace.
This is looking tough for Ruud.
Game 7
Some great court coverage from both players to kick off the game, but another unforced error off the Ruud racquet gets them to 15-15. Excellent wide serve from Ruud, but another backhand error – his seventh of the set – and they are tied at 30-30.
Nadal just doesn’t give up and it takes Ruud multiple opportunities to win that point which gives him a game-point.
Solid shot-making from both players follows and Ruud hits one net cord so hard that it bounces over the baseline to get Nadal back into the game. A brilliant return from Nadal catches Ruud off-guard and gives the Spaniard a break-point, which Nadal converts on the back of a Ruud lob that just goes long.
Another break for Nadal.
Game 6
An excellent pass from Nadal gets him on board before an excellent drop-shot off Ruud’s return takes him 30-0 up. The TV commentator describes Ruud’s position to be in “another neighbourhood” to that drop shot!
Ruud tries a drop shot but Nadal reads it too well, rushes to the net and plays a backhand slice far from Ruud ends up being. Nadal holds to love with a kicking serve wide.
Game 5
Stunning point from Ruud helps him level things out at 15-15, giving Nadal a taste of his own medicine as far as running from end to end is concerned. It is too good to last though, with Ruud hitting the next one long, unforced errors count getting another tick.
A bludgeoning forehand on Nadal’s return makes it 30-30, but he then misses the same shot to give Nadal a chance to break back.
A longish rally follows which leads Ruud into hitting it wide, and a pumped up Nadal celebrates with a clenched fist. Broken back.
Game 4
Nadal waits for the crowd to settle down and ends up adding to his unforced errors count off the first point. He dishes out a solid serve, runs to the net but ends up playing a half-volley, the ball ending in the net.
Ruud looks like he has a chance at 0-30 on Nadal’s second serve and an excellent rally in which the Norwegian switches from defensive to offense very nicely gives him three break-points.
And lo and behold, what a time for Nadal to dish out a double-fault – gives Ruud a very vital break!
Game 3
Nadal starts off well on Ruud’s serve but his opponent showed signs of his power off the forehand and wins the next two points. Rushes to the net off the next, forcing a Nadal backhand hit wide to give him two game-points.
And Ruud makes it an easy hold to take a 2-1 lead off the very next point.
Better from the world number eight.
Game 2
Ruud is showing some signs of having shrugged off some of his nerves from the early part of the match but Nadal has also grown into his own game.
And Nadal displays that with three back to back points but Ruud then gets to Nadal’s drop-shot, slides in and carves out a winner cross court. A solid serve, and a smashing backhand winner gets Nadal a comfortable hold.
Game 1
Not the best start from Ruud, he cannot afford to allow Nadal to run away with another early break here but falls 0-30 down.
A better first serve gets Nadal hitting it long on return but the Spaniard is back, running defensively and then pushing Ruud back before the Norwegian hits it long. Two break-points for the 13-time champion.
A brilliant rally gets both players to the net, whereby Nadal ends up hitting the backhand smash into the net. Nadal has a chance to win the break but a forehand goes horribly wrong – and wide – to get them to deuce, but another one that goes wide and long to give him a third break-point.
Ruud saves his third break-point of the game – which is already five minutes long now – and then goes to game-point with a superb drop shot that Nadal nearly gets to. And a couple of aggressive shots from Ruud gets him a near-winner to finally win the game.
That would be a relief.
1st Set
Game 9
Nadal hasn’t had a lot of first serves going for him but when he has, he has won most of those points in this set.
Serving for the set, Nadal grabs the first point but some forceful play from Ruud pushes him back and the Spaniard ends up putting one wide. 15-15.
A scorching Ruud forehand down the line gets him a winner and gives the player from Norway a bit of an opening but he has no answer to Nadal’s wide first serve that he hits long. 30-30.
Another excellent first serve, another poor return and that gives Nadal a set-point and he wins it thanks to a horrible Ruud return. It didn’t stretch him too much and yet, Ruud ends up taking the chair umpire down.
Nadal goes one set up.
Game 8
Ruud serving to stay in the opening set, opens up with better movement on the court to win the first two points. Nadal rushes to the net off the third and with Ruud unable to pass him, the Spaniard volleys it cross court to pull one back.
In turn, Ruud volleys as well after setting the point up nicely giving himself two game-points. He wins it off the very first one to reduce the deficit in the first set.
Game 7
Nadal looks to be getting into this match now as he pushes Ruud from end to end and runs away with the first three points of the game. A forehand that goes amiss allows Ruud a look into more of Nadal’s serves this game, and then hits the baseline with a forehand that gets the Spaniard to hit long.
Two game-points saved on Nadal’s serve, can Ruud manage a third now?
No, he doesn’t but it’s got to do with Nadal’s solid play from the baseline which is followed by a drop-shot. Ruud gets to it and tries to dink it cross-court but Nadal is quick to get there and hits a winner.
Game 6
Ooh brilliant play from Nadal (and from Ruud too in that rally) with one of those rare signs of aggression from both players without any mis-hit. Ruud levels things out with a good serve and an excellent drop-shot on Nadal’s returns gets him to 30-15.
Nadal moves closer to the net as the next point grows, before smashing a forehand winner to Ruud’s left. Brilliant serving from Ruud gets him a rare game point on his own serve, and Nadal misses a backhand down the line to give Ruud the game.
First game for Ruud on his own serve.
Game 5
Two solid points to start things off for Nadal gives him a 30-0 lead, and while Ruud tries a drop-shot it turns out to be too short and the Spaniard easily puts it away to give him three game-points.
A lot more confidence from Ruud helps him save the first, but a dipping serve right down the middle forces his opponent to return wide and gets Nadal a 4-1 lead.
Game 4
A longish rally, probably the longest of the match so far, sees Nadal get to the net and Ruud is unable to get the ball past him. An excellent first serve in from Ruud sets up a good point for him, but he follows it up with a horribly uncontrolled forehand that goes wide.
Nadal returns the favour with a poor forehand of his own that hits the net, Ruud following it with a brilliant forehand that has Nadal far from getting to the ball. Another winner for Ruud there gives him game-point which the Norwegian misses with another lapse in focus – mis-hits it rather long.
Ruud looked like he wanted to charge the net at deuce and while the intention is right, he blasts his favourite forehand far too wide, and then again, another mis-hit (does he need a change of racquets?) gives Nadal another break.
Three breaks in four games.
Game 3
Ruud seems to be setting up the point well but hasn’t, so far, been able to convert that into consistent point-winning. As was the case on the first point of this third game as well.
Nadal hits one long to allow Ruud to level it at 15-15, and there’s a double-fault, the Spaniard’s first of the match, to give Ruud an outside chance.
And wow, a second double fault in a row to give Ruud two break-points now – this is poor from the 13-time champion. Ruud makes an unforced error, hitting one long as he tries to avoid hitting them too short.
A poor forehand from Nadal, shanking it into the net, gets Ruud what he wants – the break back! Strange game.
Game 2
A shocking first serve from Ruud lands close to the baseline leads to Nadal attacking his second serve and winning the opening point on his serve.
A better first serve allows Ruud to level things out at 15-15 and he looks to have taken the early advantage on the next point with a smacking forehand but superb defensive play from Nadal gets him back into the point and then helps him win it.
Nadal gets himself two break points with a solid second smash following the first which Ruud manages to get to.
Ruud saves the first by wrong-footing Nadal following a wide serve, but off the second, the Spaniard draws his opponent to the net and then manages to make a forehand pass that gives him the break of serve.
Game 1
A forehand mis-hit from Ruud starts off the match but off the very second point, Nadal shows a drop-shot master-class to go 30-0 up.
An aggressive Ruud forehand draws out an error from the Nadal groundstroke, hitting it long but the Norwegian punches a return wide to give his opponent two game-points. Nadal converts it off the very first one as Ruud allows him to set up the point nicely with a couple of strong groundstrokes.
Pre-Match
3 pm local (1 pm GMT)
Players are talking out now, Casper Ruud first up followed by Rafael Nadal. Nadal shown to be practicing his own version of quick jumping jacks as he awaited his turn, which could be very good news for Nadal fans, indicative of no major issues with his ankle. For now.
Nadal has won the toss and opted to serve first up. Unlike what players tend to do otherwise as you can read here.
It’s on! #rolandgarros Rafa! pic.twitter.com/z3A7xVKm82
— Rosemary Sutton (@rbsutton) June 5, 2022
2.45 pm local (12.45 pm GMT)
We are minutes away from the two players, Spain’s Rafael Nadal and Casper Ruud of Norway walking out to the middle for what promises to be an intriguing French Open 2022 final.
Intriguing because it is the first time these two players will be facing off in a competitive match ever and Nadal goes into it with a cloud of injury over his head.
Take nothing away from his performances so far though given his road to the final has been a lot stiffer than his opponent’s – wins over Felix Auger-Aliassime, Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev don’t come easy.
Ruud might have had an easier draw but then again, one can only play what’s in front of you and so far, the Norwegian number one has done it well. Marin Cilic was his latest victim, whom he defeated in the semifinal after being a set down but Nadal will be a different proposition altogether, injured or not.
Preview
Here we are then, the final of another French Open and another Rafael Nadal appearance at this stage of this competition. His 14th in the final at Roland Garros and the 13-time champion has never lost one.
Up against him will be a greenhorn, a first-time major finalist, but one who has done more than his bit to earn his place in the title-decider of a clay court major. Five ATP titles on this surface in a very little career span makes Ruud a player to reckon on the red dirt.
What’s interesting to note here is despite the vast gulf between the experience and general pedigree of these two players, there is a huge factor to consider and that’s Nadal’s fitness.
While there has been no vocalisation of any such fitness concerns, Nadal has had issues leading up to this competition. Especially with his foot.
And it’s a chronic issue which doesn’t seem to go away as can be inferred from Nadal’s stunning admission:
“I would prefer to lose Sunday’s final and get a new foot. I would be happy in my life with a new foot. A win is beautiful, but life is much more important than any title, especially after the career that I had.”
And it’s probably because of these issues that Nadal has looked vulnerable at times, against Felix Auger-Aliassime in the fourth round and Alexander Zverev in the semifinals. That he got through both of them bears ample testimony to his the fight in his heart and bull-headed approach.
Ruud hasn’t had any such dramas so far in this competition but take nothing away from his ride so far.
Coming in as the Geneva Open winner, Ruud has made it 10 victories in a row now in getting to the final here. And all but one win at Roland-Garros have been hard-earned, with five of them seeing him drop a set.
Only against Emil Ruusuvuori did Ruud look at ease while getting taken to five sets in the very next round by Lorenzo Sonego despite being 1/7 to win that encounter. And that was followed by Hubert Hurkacz, Holger Rune and Marin Cilic, all managing to take a set off him.
And yet, there was no relenting of the pressure from the Norwegian’s racquet, helping him through to this setting.
Playing against Nadal will be a different kettle of fish and that reflects in the odds on offer – Nadal is 1/5 to win this, far shorter than the 7/20 odds on offer for him in his semifinal against Zverev.
Can Ruud take advantage of Nadal’s purported issues and make a match out of it in a battle not too many would give him much of a chance to win?
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