Rafael Nadal won his 11th French Open title against Dominic Thiem
French Open 2018 Venue: Roland Garros, Paris Dates: 27 May-10 June Coverage: Daily live radio and text commentaries on BBC Radio 5 live, the BBC Sport website and app.
Rafael Nadal would love to surpass Roger Federer's men's record of 20 Grand Slam titles but says he is not "crazy" about catching his great rival.
World number one Nadal won his 17th major by lifting his 11th French Open title on Sunday, beating seventh seed Dominic Thiem 6-4 6-3 6-2.
"Of course I have ambition. But I can't always be thinking of more," he said.
Nadal, 32, is second behind Federer in the list of all-time Grand Slam titles, three clear of Pete Sampras in third.
Veteran pair Nadal and Federer have won the past six Grand Slams as their younger rivals struggle to dislodge them at the pinnacle of the game.
Federer, 36, skipped the clay-court season for the second successive year, but will return for the grass-court season which culminates at Wimbledon next month.
"You can't be frustrated if somebody has more money than you, if somebody has a bigger house than you, if somebody has more Grand Slams than you," said Nadal, who will be top seed at Wimbledon.
"I've never been crazy about this kind of stuff. You can't live with that feeling. You have to do your way.
"I'd love to have 20 like Roger in the future or more, but it is not something in my mind. I know I've had an amazing career so I want to keep fighting for these things."
'Tough times make this win special'
Nadal was emotional when he picked up his 11th French Open trophy
In a rare show of emotion, Nadal looked close to tears as he collected the Coupe des Mousquetaires again after beating Austrian Thiem.
He said it was because he had started the clay-court season with "some doubts" before going on to win a record-extending 11th title at Roland Garros.
Nadal did not play for more than two months after the Australian Open in January - where he withdrew from his quarter-final against Marin Cilic because of a hip injury.
He pulled out of planned appearances in Acapulco, Indian Wells and Miami before returning at the start of April for Spain's Davis Cup tie against Germany.
It was his only appearance before winning the Masters title in Monte Carlo in April, backing that up with victory at the Barcelona Open and another Masters title in Rome.
"I had a lot of months with injury problems, so coming back to win is very special," he said.
"I came back from five months without playing a full tournament.
"So coming back and having the chance to win in Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Rome, and now especially here, it's very emotional for me.
"I arrived so-so, with some doubts about this clay-court season."
Thiem optimistic of final return
Dominic Thiem was playing in his first Grand Slam final
Thiem says he is "confident" his first appearance in a Grand Slam final will not be his last.
The 24-year-old finally reached the Roland Garros showpiece after losing in the semi-finals in 2016 and 2017.
"That's my biggest goal, to get into the next one and then to do it better than today," he said.
"Of course it's going to be easier, a little bit, because it's not going to be the first time anymore."
Thiem is the only player to have beaten Nadal on clay in the past two years - winning in best-of-three set matches in Rome and Madrid.
However, he fell to a third successive straight-set defeat by the Spaniard at the French Open.
Thiem lost to Nadal in the second round on his Roland Garros debut in 2014, then again in last year's semi-finals.
"I think it was the first time against him here in Roland Garros where it was a fight," said Thiem, who told Nadal he remembered being 11 years old and watching the Spaniard win his first title in 2005.
"Honestly, I never expected that one day I would play the finals here so I am still really happy.
"Winning 11 times is definitely one of the best things somebody ever achieved in sport."
How social media reacted to Nadal's victory
Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar was among those to praise Rafael Nadal's victory on Twitter
American 12-time Grand Slam singles champion Billie Jean King: Incredible! Congratulations, Rafael Nadal #champion
German six-time Grand Slam winner Boris Becker: The legend continues... Rafael Nadal @rolandgarros #11
American seven-time French Open winner Chris Evert: Two warriors won at Roland Garros this year... fighters, grinders, with heart and passion...congratulations Simona Halep and Rafael Nadal
American former player Pam Shriver: Bingo legs eleven Rafael Nadal. Chasing RF!
Ex-Real Madrid and Portugal footballer Luis Figo: Congratulations!! Enhorabuena 11x winner Roland Garros. Amazing!!! One of the best sportsman of all times.
Spanish golfer and 2017 Masters champion Sergio Garcia: 11 @rolandgarros for Rafael Nadal!!! Amazing!! What a machine!! Enorme Rafa!!
The tears were new but otherwise things were as they always seem to be in Paris. Rafael Nadal duly collected his 11th French Open title here on Sunday with a brutal, brilliant, resilient and ruthless performance, just as he had done 10 times before. But as Nadal’s uncle, Toni Nadal, said shortly afterwards, “this is not normal”.
Less than an hour after the match was completed, demolition workers began to smash up Court Philippe Chatrier, part of the continuing redevelopment that will lead to a roof being in place over the stadium court in two years’ time. This, though, is Nadal’s court, the place he has dominated like no other. His emotions were on show as he shed a few tears when the national anthem of Spain was played in his honour for the 11th time, an obvious sign of what this tournament means to him. Nadal’s 11th title takes his grand slam tally to 17 and even at 32, despite the miles in his legs, who is going to stop him making it 12 in a year’s time?
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When he was recovering from injury this year, for the umpteenth time in his career, he was focused on this title and nothing – certainly not Dominic Thiem – was going to stand in his way. Even a cramp in his left hand early in the third set, which required a rub-down of his left forearm, did not stop him as he closed out for victory.
Uncle Toni, no longer his nephew’s coach but back in his customary seat on the end of the players’ box, two seats down from the current coach, Carlos Moya, summed it up perfectly. “When someone wins 11 times here, for me it’s unbelievable,” he told reporters. “To think that Rafael has won 11 times, it’s unbelievable. I think he is really good.”
The understatement was classic Toni but there was nothing understated about Nadal himself. It was his best performance of the fortnight, as Nadal confirmed on court, just when he needed it most.
Play Video 1:17 Rafael Nadal 'very emotional' after historic 11th French Open title – video
Right from the start of the tournament the Nadal camp knew Thiem was the biggest danger, having seen at first hand what the Austrian can do when he defeated their man in Madrid last month. Having also beaten him in Rome last year, he is the only man to defeat Nadal on clay in the past two years, and the way he had played on the way to the final threatened to make it a classic match.
That it was not was testimony to Nadal’s level, which never wavered, despite everything Thiem threw at him. Nadal threw himself across the baseline, retrieving everything. When he had the chance, he thumped his forehand with his customary effect, his dazzling footwork still a marvel even as he enters his 33rd year.
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The momentary cramp in his left hand gave him a brief scare but he was simply too good, yet again. He is now three grand slam titles short of Roger Federer, the pair having shared the past six slam titles between them. Might he catch him? “I want to think that is possible but I know maybe in a month Federer will win Wimbledon again. I don’t know,” Toni Nadal said.
It is eight years since Nadal last lifted the Wimbledon title and he has not been past the last 16 since he reached the 2011 final. The transition from clay to grass is a tough one for him, the loading required particularly difficult for his chronic knees, which nevertheless have held up amazingly well over the years.
Last year, he looked good only to lose against Gilles Müller of Luxembourg in a five-set match. It is a tough assignment but with the confidence earned here it is possible. “I think so,” Toni Nadal said. “I thought last year he could win. I thought it, because he played really good, but in the end Gilles Müller just played too good.”
First of all, I know what you're thinking. Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer are both legends of the game, and even Nadal himself said on Sunday he is not jealous of his rival's greater number of grand slam titles. So must we reduce ourselves to this tiresome debate about who is the greatest of all time (GOAT)?
Well, yes and no. Debating who is greater out of Federer and Nadal is admittedly about as commonplace as a John Isner ace, and almost as tedious.
But my contention is not that one or other is the greatest, but rather that the GOAT debate - and we are talking here about just male players - is fundamentally flawed.
Throughout most of tennis history, the judgment over who is the greatest has...
Nadal won the French Open title this afternoon with a comfortable straight-sets victory against Dominic Thiem. However, he has now cast doubt over his participation at Wimbledon. Roger Federer, 37, has broken the mould over recent years by skipping the French Open to rest ahead of Wimbledon. And Nadal, 32, could now follow his lead by missing the grass-season after a gruelling clay campaign. “Difficult for me to think about it now,” Nadal said.
GETTY Rafael Nadal has admitted he could skip Wimbledon
It's time to check how I feel in the next couple of days Rafael Nadal
“My preparation, I believe, last year went well. And now I have to come back to speak with my team. “Of course decide what's better for my body. No, that's the main thing always. “I would love to be playing in as many places as possible, but you understand I need to check how I feel in the next couple of days. “Of course is a drastic change from clay to grass. And I did it in the past when I was much younger, quicker, because I played back to back.
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“But it's time to check how I feel in the next couple of days.” Federer is the heavy favourite to win Wimbledon for a ninth time but Nadal is considered to be one of his closest rivals. If the world No 1 decides against attending the All England Club then supporters will be massively disappointed as the pair have not yet clashed in 2018. Meanwhile, Nadal retained his world ranking by beating Thiem at Rolland Garros.
GETTY Nadal avoided an injury scare to beat Dominic Thiem
