His clay-court prowess as unassailable as ever, Rafael Nadal won his record 10th French Open title by dominating 2015 champion Stan Wawrinka 6-2, 6-3, 6-1 in the final Sunday.

No other man or woman has won 10 championships at the same major in the Open era, which began in 1968.

The 31-year-old Nadal was overwhelmingly good from start to finish against Wawrinka — and over the past two weeks en route to La Decima, Spanish for “10th.”

Not only did Nadal win every set he played in the tournament, he dropped a total of only 35 games, the second fewest by any man on the way to any title at a Grand Slam tournament in the Open era with all matches being best-of-five-sets.

Along with improving to 10-0 in finals at Roland Garros, Nadal increased his career haul to 15 Grand Slam trophies, breaking a tie with Pete Sampras for second place in the history of men's tennis, behind only rival Roger Federer's 18.

It marked a stirring return to the top for Nadal in his favorite event and on his favorite surface: Over his career, he is now 79-2 at the French Open and 102-2 in all best-of-five-set matches on clay.

A year ago in Paris, Nadal surprisingly withdrew before the third round because of a wrist injury, making the announcement at a news conference while wearing a blue brace on his left arm and a look of resignation of his face. He couldn't bring himself to watch much of the rest of the 2016 French Open, he said, other than some doubles matches involving a good pal, and the singles final.

Finally back to full strength in the offseason, Nadal returned to work, reconstructing his forehand and redoubling his efforts to get back to his best.

Well, he sure proved to be precisely that Sunday, when the conditions were exactly to the liking of a guy who grew up on the island of Mallorca. The sun was shining, there was barely a trace of cloud in the bright blue sky and the temperature was about 85 degrees (30 Celsius).

Wawrinka is no slouch; he owns three major titles, including one from Roland Garros, and had never lost a Grand Slam final. But a five-set semifinal win Friday over No. 1-ranked Andy Murray must have taken something out of the 32-year-old from Switzerland, the oldest French Open finalist since 1973. His shots didn't have their usual verve, his legs their usual spring. After one point Sunday, Wawrinka bent over, leaning one arm on his racket and resting the other on a knee.

Instead of pointing to his right temple, as he often does after key points won, Wawrinka kept rubbing his forehead or running his fingers through his hair after key points lost. When he netted a forehand to close a 14-stroke back-and-forth in the second set, he pounded his strings on his head several times.

Nadal has that way of wearing down opponents. On this day, he was nearly perfect. He won all 12 service games, saving the lone break point he faced, and made a mere 12 unforced errors.

When it ended, Nadal dropped to his back on the clay, then rose and briefly pulled his blue shirt over his face. He was again the champion, again unbeatable at the French Open. </s> His clay-court prowess as unassailable as ever, Rafael Nadal won his record 10th French Open title by dominating 2015 champion Stan Wawrinka 6-2, 6-3, 6-1 in the final Sunday.

No other man or woman has won 10 championships at the same major in the Open era, which began in 1968.

The 31-year-old Nadal was overwhelmingly good from start to finish against Wawrinka -- and over the past two weeks en route to La Decima, Spanish for "10th." Not only did Nadal win every set he played in the tournament, he dropped a total of only 35 games, the second fewest by any man on the way to any title at a Grand Slam tournament in the Open era with all matches being best-of-five-sets.

Along with improving to 10-0 in finals at Roland Garros, Nadal increased his career haul to 15 Grand Slam trophies, breaking a tie with Pete Sampras for second place in the history of men's tennis, behind only rival Roger Federer's 18.

It marked a stirring return to the top for Nadal in his favorite event and on his favorite surface: Over his career, he is now 79-2 at the French Open and 102-2 in all best-of-five-set matches on clay.

A year ago in Paris, Nadal surprisingly withdrew before the third round because of a wrist injury, making the announcement at a news conference while wearing a blue brace on his left arm and a look of resignation of his face. He couldn't bring himself to watch much of the rest of the 2016 French Open, he said, other than some doubles matches involving a good pal, and the singles final.

Finally back to full strength in the offseason, Nadal returned to work, reconstructing his forehand and redoubling his efforts to get back to his best.

Well, he sure proved to be precisely that Sunday, when the conditions were exactly to the liking of a guy who grew up on the island of Mallorca. The sun was shining, there was barely a trace of cloud in the bright blue sky and the temperature was about 85 degrees (30 Celsius).

Wawrinka is no slouch; he owns three major titles, including one from Roland Garros, and had never lost a Grand Slam final. But a five-set semifinal win Friday over No. 1-ranked Andy Murray must have taken something out of the 32-year-old from Switzerland, the oldest French Open finalist since 1973. His shots didn't have their usual verve, his legs their usual spring. After one point Sunday, Wawrinka bent over, leaning one arm on his racket and resting the other on a knee.

Instead of pointing to his right temple, as he often does after key points won, Wawrinka kept rubbing his forehead or running his fingers through his hard after key points lost. When he netted a forehand to close a 14-stroke back-and-forth in the second set, he pounded his strings on his head several times.

Nadal has that way of wearing down opponents. On this day, he was nearly perfect. He won all 12 service games, saving the lone break point he faced, and made a mere 12 unforced errors.

When it ended, Nadal dropped to his back on the clay, then rose and briefly pulled his blue shirt over his face. He was again the champion, again unbeatable at the French Open. </s> Rafael Nadal enters the 2017 French Open finals with a chance to win his 10th Grand Slam title at Roland Garros on Sunday at 9 a.m. ET against Stan Wawrinka.

Nadal holds a 15-3 record against Wawrinka in all-time matchups with both men looking to move up in the world rankings.

If Nadal is able to secure the victory for his 15th career Grand Slam title, he will be just three back from all-time leader Roger Federer with 18. The King of Clay secured a spot in his 22nd major final after powering through competition without dropping a set. No. 4 Nadal is on pace to become the first player in the Open era to hoist 10 trophies at a single tournament.

Wawrinka, ranked No. 3 in the world, is looking to improve a streak of his own by continuing a perfect 3-0 record in Grand Slam final appearances. His last three Slam final victories are a U.S. Open win against Novak Djokovic in 2016, a Roland Garros win against Djokovic in 2015 and a win against Nadal in the 2014 Australian Open.

The match begins 9 a.m. ET Sunday. NBC (U.S.) and Eurosport (UK) will televise the match. You can live-stream the action at Roland Garros through NBC Sports Live Extra in the U.S. or Eurosport Player in the UK.

MORE: French Open women's final: Ostapenko stuns Halep for first Grand Slam title

In Nadal's previous matches, his toughest competition has been against No. 6 Dominic Thiem. He proved nothing would get in his way, blowing past Thiem 6-3, 6-4, 6-0. Nadal and his dominant backhand also faced ranked opponents No. 17 Roberto Bautista Agut and No. 20 Pablo Carreno Busta.

Nadal boosts a 17-1 record on clay this year to date, while Wawrinka's record stands at 6-3.

Wawrinka was able to knock off top-ranked Andy Murray in the semifinals in five sets, showing off a strong forehand. His journey to the final also included matches against ranked opponents No. 7 Marin Cilic, No. 15 Gael Monfils and No. 28 Fabio Fognini.

If successful at Roland Garros, Wawrinka also etches his name into record books by becoming the third player to win three or more Grand Slam titles after turning 30 years old.

Sporting News will provide live updates, scores and highlights from the final match beginning on Sunday at 9 a.m. ET. </s> PARIS (Reuters) - Rafa Nadal paid tribute to his uncle and coach Toni after winning a record-extending 10th French Open title on Sunday.

"Thanks to my uncle, he's been with me since I was three years old, we've been working a lot and without him I would not have these 10 trophies with me," Nadal said at courtside after being handed the Musketeers Cup by two-time Roland Garros champion Roy Emerson.

Toni Nadal is planning to step down as his nephew's head coach at the end of the season.

The 31-year-old Rafa hailed the French Open as the most special tournament for him.

Since his debut in 2005, he has lost only two matches on the Parisian red clay and he bagged his 79th victory on Sunday by dismantling Swiss Stan Wawrinka 6-2 6-3 6-1 in a one-sided final.

"I try my best in all events but the feeling I have here is impossible to describe," the champion said on Court Philippe Chatrier.

"For me the nerves, the adrenaline I feel when I play on this court is impossible to compare to any other feeling.

"This is the most important event in my career. It is difficult to compare this tournament to any other one. It will always be in my heart.

"Feeling your support is just unbelievable," he told the crowd. "Thank you and see you next time."

Third seed Wawrinka, the 2015 champion who had won all his three previous grand slam finals, was gracious in defeat.

"I would like to congratulate Rafa. Nothing to say about today," he said at courtside.

"You're a big example, what you do tennis, in sport is unbelievable," he told the Spaniard. </s> PARIS — Stan Wawrinka battered the ball as if each swing would determine the outcome of his French Open semifinal against No. 1 Andy Murray.

For much of their 41/2 hours of compelling, lengthy and draining points, Murray was up to the task, relentlessly defending and making Wawrinka hit shot after shot after shot. Eventually, the resolute Wawrinka’s offense prevailed. Not bad for an old guy, huh?

Forced to come back twice from a set behind, and never easing up on his go-for-it, attacking style, 2015 champion Wawrinka at last pulled away to beat Murray 6-7 (6), 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (3), 6-1 on Friday and become the oldest men’s finalist at Roland Garros in 44 years.

“You expect him to hit a lot of balls, for sure. I wasn’t always happy with that,” Wawrinka said through a grin. “You know what his game is, you know how well he can play, and you need to accept it. You need to, as I say, keep pushing yourself.”

Now comes an even tougher task, something the No. 3-seeded Wawrinka, a 32-year-old from Switzerland nicknamed “Stan the Man,” called “probably the biggest challenge you can have in tennis.” He will face Rafael Nadal in the French Open final.

Nadal reached a 10th final at his favorite tournament – he’s 9-0 so far – by overwhelming No. 6 Dominic Thiem of Austria 6-3, 6-4, 6-0 in barely 2 hours.

“Nine or 10 is only 10 percent more,” Nadal joked, when asked about the historic nature of his bid to become the first man to win 10 titles at any major.

He has dropped a measly total of 29 games through six matches, back to his dominating best on clay after withdrawing from the French Open before the third round a year ago with an injured left wrist.

“I don’t care about the games I lost or not, or sets, or these kind of things,” Nadal said. “Only thing I care (about) is I have been playing very well during the whole event.”

It will be Nadal’s 22nd Grand Slam final overall, breaking a tie with Novak Djokovic for second behind Roger Federer’s 28. If Nadal wins the championship on Sunday, it’ll be his 15th at a major, breaking a tie with Pete Sampras for second behind Federer’s 18.

Wawrinka, meanwhile, heads to his fourth Grand Slam final. He’s won the previous three, beating Nadal at the Australian Open in 2014, and Djokovic at Roland Garros two years ago and the U.S. Open last September.

“I’m extremely confident about what I do, about how I feel, about all the hard work I have accomplished over the past days, weeks, months, years,” said Wawrinka, winner of a career-best 10 consecutive matches. “I know that mentally, when I’m there, it’s difficult to beat me.”

A year ago at the French Open, Wawrinka lost to Murray in the semifinals. This time, Wawrinka wore down the seemingly tireless Murray, also a three-time major champion. </s> Novak Djokovic of Serbia celebrates defeating Rafael Nadal of Spain in the men's singles semifinal match at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships, in London, Saturday July 14, 2018. (Andrew Couldridge, Pool via AP) </s> PARIS - Rafael Nadal made tennis history at the French Open on Sunday when he became the first player in the Open Era to win the same Grand Slam title 10 times in his career.

The 31-year-old Nadal offered no mercy to Stan Wawrinka, the 2015 French Open champion, in putting on a strategic and impenetrable clay court clinic to capture his 15th overall Grand Slam title 6-2, 6-3, 6-1.

Nadal, who dropped to the court and covered his eyes when Wawrinka netted the final shot, saved the one break point he faced in the third game of the first set. It was the only opportunity he presented the Swiss in the 2 hour, 5 minute match.

"The feeling that I have here is impossible to describe, impossible to compare to other places," Nadal said on court after the victory, brushing away tears. "The adrenaline and nerves I feel on this court I can't describe. This is the most important event in my career, without a doubt."

Nadal has never lost a final at the French Open. His 79-2 record in Paris is the best in French Open history. He lost in the fourth round in 2009 and the quarterfinals in 2015. Last year he withdrew from a third-round match with a wrist injury.

This was Nadal’s first Grand Slam title since he won his ninth French Open in 2014. The Spaniard just lost out on winning this year’s Australian Open trophy after surrendering a lead in the fifth set of the final to Roger Federer.

Six men in history have claimed seven trophies at the same Grand Slam, including Pete Sampras and Federer, in the Open Era, who won seven Wimbledon titles apiece. </s> Rafael Nadal won his 11th French Open title on Sunday, beating out Austria’s Dominic Thiem and becoming the first man to win 11 titles at any Grand Slam tournament.

The 32-year-old Spaniard is only the second player to hold the record, after Margaret Court had won the Australian women’s singles title 11 times.

The top-seeded Nadal won the match 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 at Roland Garros in Paris against Thiem, a 24-year-old who is ranked No. 7. Thiem, who is the only man to beat Nadal on clay over the past two seasons, appeared for his first Grand Slam final.

Nadal had a brief moment of weakness in the first set, when the 24-year-old Austrian broke him in the third game. But after, the Spaniard was imperious. At 2-1 in the fourth set, Nadal stopped serving during a game because he couldn't straighten his left middle finger.

At the following changeover, Nadal was given a salt pill by a doctor and had his left forearm massaged by a trainer.

Sunday’s win was Nadal’s 17th major trophy, only putting him three behind Roger Federer.

Thiem beat Nadal on clay twice, including last month in Madrid that ended Nadal’s 21-match winning streak on clay and his streak of 50 straight sets won on his favorite surface.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. </s> (Reuters) - Factbox on Serbia’s Novak Djokovic, who beat Switzerland’s Roger Federer 7-6(5) 1-6 7-6(4) 4-6 13-12(3) to win his 16th Grand Slam title on Sunday:

** His father was a professional skier and wanted his son to follow in his footsteps or play professional soccer but changed his mind when Djokovic excelled at tennis from an early age.

** First full year on tour in 2005. Made Grand Slam debut as a qualifier at the Australian Open, losing to Russian Marat Safin in the first round. Finished as the youngest player (18 years, five months) inside the top 100.

** In 2006, he won his first ATP tour title at Amersfoort.

** Retired in the 2006 French Open quarter-finals against Nadal when trailing by two sets, and again a year later due to blisters in the Wimbledon semi-final against the same opponent.

** Won five titles in 2007 (Adelaide, Miami, Estoril, Montreal and Vienna) and reached his first Grand Slam final at the U.S. Open, losing to Roger Federer.

** Beat Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to win his maiden Grand Slam title at the 2008 Australian Open — becoming the first Serbian man to win one of the four majors.

** Failed to defend his title in Melbourne the following year after pulling out of his quarter-final against American Andy Roddick citing heat exhaustion.

** Led Serbia to their first Davis Cup title with victory over France in Belgrade in December 2010.

** Began 2011 by winning the Australian Open, beating Briton Andy Murray in the final, to end his three-year wait for a second Grand Slam title.

** Won his next six tournaments in Dubai, Indian Wells, Miami, Belgrade, Madrid and Rome. Did not lose again until June 3 when Federer ended his 41-match winning streak in the French Open semi-finals.

** Secured the number one spot on July 4, 2011 by beating Tsonga in the Wimbledon semi-finals, then beat Nadal to clinch his first Wimbledon crown, his first title on grass.

** Saved two match points to beat Federer in the semi-finals of the U.S. Open then defeated Nadal in the final to become the seventh man to win three Grand Slam titles in a year since tennis turned professional in 1968.

** Won his third Australian Open title in 2012 by beating Nadal in five hours and 53 minutes.

** Began 2013 by beating Murray to become the first man in the professional era to win three successive Australian Open titles.

** Reached all four Grand Slam finals in 2015. Began the year by capturing a fifth Australian Open title, then missed out on the French Open again — his third loss in the title match —after falling to Stan Wawrinka in the final.

** Five weeks later drew level with his coach Boris Becker’s Wimbledon haul of three titles by defeating Federer in the All England Club final. Beat Federer in U.S. Open final, giving him three Grand Slam titles in a year for a second time.

** Beat Murray in the 2016 Australian Open final to win his 11th Grand Slam trophy.

** Beat Murray again in the French Open final that year to finally win the claycourt major at his 12th attempt. The win not only completed his Grand Slam collection but he also became only the third man — after Don Budge and Rod Laver — to hold all four majors at the same time.

** Advanced to his 21st Grand Slam final overall at the 2016 U.S. Open but was beaten by Stan Wawrinka.

** Retired in the 2017 Wimbledon quarter-finals against Tomas Berdych and ended his season on July 26 with a right elbow injury.

** Returned from a six-month injury absence at the Australian Open last year. Had elbow surgery following a last-16 exit to South Korean youngster Chung Hyeon.

** Beat Kevin Anderson in the 2018 Wimbledon final to seal his 13th Grand Slam.

** Capped off the year in style by beating Juan Martin del Potro to win the U.S. Open crown for a third time.

** Defeated Nadal in their 53rd career meeting to claim his 15th major and seventh Australian Open title.

** Djokovic’s 26-match winning streak in Grand Slams ended with a loss to Dominic Thiem in the French Open semi-final.

** Defeated Federer to claim his fifth Wimbledon title.
In tennis, Rafael Nadal of Spain defeats Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland 6–2, 6–3, 6–1, to win the men's singles at the French Open. It is Nadal's tenth win in the French Open.