Rafael Nadal finally sealed victory on his fifth match point[/caption]
World number one Rafael Nadal won an 11th French Open title by beating Austrian Dominic Thiem in straight sets.
Nadal, 32, won 6-4 6-3 6-2 to earn his 17th Grand Slam, three adrift of Roger Federer’s all-time men’s record. The Spaniard edged an intense opening set, tightening his grip in the second. And despite having cramp in the third he increased the tempo further, beating Thiem in his first major final when the 24-year-old returned long. “It’s a dream to win 11 times,” Nadal said. “It was important to play the way I did. It was a tough moment when I got cramp. He is a player who pushes you to the limit.” The victory means the past six Grand Slam titles have been won by either Nadal or Federer with the next generation of players finding it hard to break the veterans’ stranglehold on the game. Nadal is the only second player in history to win the same Grand Slam on 11 occasions after Margaret Court, who won 11 Australian Open titles between 1960 and 1973. However, it was not all smooth for Nadal, who missed four match points on his own serve before clinching victory when Thiem went long on the fifth. Nadal dropped his racquet at the baseline in celebration before turning to his box and raising both hands skywards.Favourite Nadal at his relentless and destructive best

Nadal stamps authority from the start

Thiem falls short in quest for first Slam

‘Another relentlessly brilliant performance’ – Analysis
BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller The one set which Nadal did lose in Paris this fortnight turned out to be merely a footnote. This was another relentlessly brilliant performance: he won the first six points of the match, and at no stage did he offer Thiem any real encouragement in his first Grand Slam final. Nadal’s serve was only broken once, and he granted a measly three break points. He exercises near total domination on clay and will now head to Wimbledon, via the Queen’s Club, to resume his dual with Roger Federer. The Swiss is back in action in Stuttgart this week after an 11-week break from the Tour: Federer has 20 Grand Slams, but it feels as if Nadal – who is five years younger – is breathing down his neck once more.Nadal’s 11 French Open final victories

- 2005 – beat Mariano Puerta (Argentina) 6-7 (6-8) 6-3 6-1 7-5
- 2006 – beat Roger Federer (Switzerland) 1-6 6-1 6-4 7-6 (7-4)
- 2007 – beat Roger Federer (Switzerland) 6-3 4-6 6-3 6-4
- 2008 – beat Roger Federer (Switzerland) 6-1 6-3 6-0
- 2010 – beat Robin Soderling (Sweden) 6-4 6-2 6-4
- 2011 – beat Roger Federer (Switzerland) 7-5 7-6 (7-3) 5-7 6-1
- 2012 – beat Novak Djokovic (Serbia) 6-4 6-3 2-6 7-5
- 2013 – beat David Ferrer (Spain) 6-3 6-2 6-3
- 2014 – beat Novak Djokovic (Serbia) 3-6 7-5 6-2 6-4
- 2017 – beat Stan Wawrinka (Switzerland) 6-2 6-3 6-1
- 2018 – beat Dominic Thiem (Austria) 6-4 6-3 6-2