Video: Watch Nick Kyrgios Fool Rafael Nadal with Underhand Ace at Wimbledon
Jul 4, 2019
Australia's Nick Kyrgios gestures as he plays Australia's Jordan Thompson in a Men's singles match during day two of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Tuesday, July 2, 2019. (AP Photo/Tim Ireland)
Nick Kyrgios' upset bid against Rafael Nadal in the second round at Wimbledon came up short, but the controversial star did have one memorable highlight.
Late in the first set, Kyrgios broke out an underhand serve that left Nadal with nothing to do but accept defeat and move on to the next game.
We thought Centre Court had seen everything. Then @NickKyrgios did this. 😲
Kyrgios was his typically animated self throughout the match. He went off in the first set, complaining to the umpire about Nadal's slow-down tactics.
"I'm ready to serve," Kyrgios said on the court. "No one is standing up. Why am I waiting? ... It's too long between serves, it's bulls--t. He just f--king does what he wants."
None of Kyrgios' attempts at mind games paid off in the end. He did take Nadal to a fourth-set tiebreaker before ultimately falling 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(5), 7-6(3).
Wimbledon 2019 Results: Winners, Scores, Stats from Thursday's Singles Bracket
Jul 4, 2019
LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 04: Rafael Nadal of Spain shakes hands with Nick Kyrgios of Australia during Day Four of The Championships - Wimbledon 2019 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 4, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images)
Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer each advanced to the third round of Wimbledon 2019 after they beat respective opponents Nick Kyrgios and Jay Clarke on Thursday.
Kyrgios tested Nadal on Centre Court before the Spaniard pulled clear 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (3) to set up a third-round fixture opposite Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
John Isner and Marin Cilic were among the higher seeded men's stars to fall out of the running early on, while No. 25 Alex de Minaur and No. 31 Laslo Djere were knocked out by Steve Johnson and John Millman, respectively.
Defending women's champion Angelique Kerber suffered a second-round upset and exited SW19 after losing to American Lauren Davis.
The women's singles went somewhat as expected aside from that, with top seed Ashleigh Barty moving ahead in the competition alongside the likes of Kiki Bertens, Sloane Stephens and Petra Kvitova.
Serena Williams overcame a sluggish start to defeat Kaja Juvan 2-6, 6-2, 6-4, and she'll take on Julia Gorges in the next round of the contest.
Thursday's Results
Men's Singles
Steve Johnson bt. (25) Alex de Minaur: 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-3, 3-6, 6-3
(4) Kiki Bertens bt. Taylor Townsend: 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-2
Lauren Davis bt. (5) Angelique Kerber: 2-6, 6-2, 6-1
(19) Johanna Konta bt. Katerina Siniakova: 6-3, 6-4
(18) Julia Gorges bt. Varvara Flink: 6-1, 6-4
Magda Linette bt. (25) Amanda Anisimova
(11) Serena Williams bt. Kaja Juvan: 2-6, 6-2, 6-4
(13) Belinda Bencic bt. Kaia Kanepi: 6-3, 6-1
Recap
Kyrgios tends to ensure audiences are left entertained by his matches one way or another, but Thursday's matchup opposite Nadal saw him captivate in every way possible.
For all the unnecessary drama Kyrgios can often encourage, his outbursts became a welcome part of the pantomime. He looked impressive in defeat to the world No. 2 and contributed no small amount of cheek, via BBC Sport:
An underarm ace from Nick Kyrgios against Rafael Nadal 😳
Nadal edged ahead 4-3 in their all-time head-to-head and moved past any bitterness that might have transpired to predict very big things for his opponent in future:
British entrant Cameron Norrie lost a rather one-sided match to eighth seed Kei Nishikori 6-4, 6-4, 6-0, and Clarke didn't fare much better in his straight-sets defeat to Federer.
The Swiss recorded 25 unforced errors to Clarke's 21, per the Wimbledon website, but he still came out a confident victor and will face Lucas Pouille in the next phase of the tournament.
It's been 20 years since Federer made his Wimbledon debut, and the eight-time Wimbledon winner is now approaching a century of wins at SW19:
Pouille defeated Gregoire Barrere 6-1, 7-6 (0), 6-4 to progress, with the No. 27 seed out to trump his career-best run to the Wimbledon quarter-finals in 2016.
They'll be joined in the third round by Tennys Sandgren, who pulled back a five-set rollercoaster against 20th seed Gilles Simon at the last minute to triumph 6-2, 6-3, 4-6, 3-6, 8-6.
ATP Media Tour Info emphasised just how sorely needed the win was for Sandgren:
Barty is in quite the opposite form and demonstrated her dominance against Van Uytvanck, beating her second-round opponent in 57 minutes.
The 2019 French Open winner advanced to Wimbledon's third round for the first time last year but looks even more confident in her current form, per WTA Insider:
Make it 14 consecutive wins.
No.1 Ash Barty zips into the third round with a 61 63 win over Alison Van Uytvanck.
Barty: 13 W, 7 UFE AVU: 10 W, 17 UFE
Barty plays either Harriet Dart or Beatriz Haddad Maia for a spot in her 1st Round of 16 @Wimbledon.
Her opponent in the next round will be British underdog Harriet Dart, who got the better of Beatriz Haddad Maia 7-6 (4), 3-6, 6-1 to also break new ground in this competition:
Elsewhere, Williams was made to work for her result against 18-year-old Juvan and came back from a set down to win 2-6, 6-2, 6-4:
The 37-year-old is hoping to keep flying a flag for the Williams family after sister Venus was knocked out by 15-year-old Cori Gauff, but she'll need to overcome a big threat from German Gorges next.
Wimbledon 2019: Federer, Nadal, Serena Williams Wins Highlight Thursday Results
Jul 4, 2019
LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 04: Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates the victory after his Men's Singles second round match against Nick Kyrgios of Australia during Day four of The Championships - Wimbledon 2019 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 04, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Shi Tang/Getty Images)
Third seed Rafael Nadal overcame a tough test from Australia's Nick Kyrgios to book his place in the third round of Wimbledon 2019 on Thursday, while eight-time champion Roger Federer is also through after victory over British wildcard Jay Clarke.
However, there was a shock in the women's draw, as defending champion Angelique Kerber suffered a second-round defeat to Lauren Davis.
Elsewhere, top seed Ashleigh Barty went through with a comfortable win over Belgium's Alison Van Uytanck, and there were also victories for Serena Williams, Petra Kvitova and Johanna Konta.
(3) Rafael Nadal vs. Nick Kyrgios 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(5), 7-6(3)
Women's Selected Scores
(19) Johanna Konta bt. Katerina Siniakova 6-3, 6-4
Lauren Davis bt. (5) Angelique Kerber 2-6, 6-2, 6-1
(4) Kiki Bertens bt. Taylor Townsend 3-6, 7-6(5), 6-2
(6) Petra Kvitova bt. Kristina Mladenovic 7-5, 6-2
(9) Sloane Stephens bt. Wang Yafan 6-0, 6-2
(1) Ashleigh Barty bt. Alison Van Uytanck 6-1, 6-3
(11) Serena Williams vs. Kaja Juvan 2-6, 6-2, 6-4
Full results can be found at the official Wimbledon website.
Thursday Recap
There was no doubt the game of the day was between Nadal and Kyrgios on Centre Court, and the clash certainly lived up to expectations with the Spaniard prevailing in four sets.
Kyrgios came up with an underarm ace in the opening set:
An underarm ace from Nick Kyrgios against Rafael Nadal 😳
He also complained about the time Nadal was taking on his serve but still managed to find the quality and composure to break his opponent and level the match.
There was more drama in a tight third set, as Kyrgios smashed a ball straight at Nadal who did not appear too impressed:
Federer enjoyed a far easier passage into the third round by beating Clarke in straight sets.
The Swiss ace raced through the first set in 29 minutes for the loss of just one game as Clarke struggled to cope with the second seed in the early stages.
The 20-year-old was more competitive and forced Federer into a tiebreak in the second, only to see the former world No.1 win five points in a row to take the set and control of the match.
Federer then cruised through the third to secure his 97th win at Wimbledon:
The match saw plenty of breaks of serve for both players, but it was Davis who came out on top against a sloppy and lacklustre Kerber.
The 2018 champion spoke about her defeat after the match:
Angelique Kerber says she was struggling with her energy, just couldn’t get going. Gave lots of credit to Davis. Acknowledged No.2 Court felt slow but said it wasn’t an excuse.
“She was going for it. She took the match in her hand. I was too defensive in the important moments."
It is a disappointing but deserved defeat for a below-par Kerber, while Davis goes on to play 30th seed Carla Suarez Navarro in the third round on Saturday.
Rafael Nadal Outlasts Nick Kyrgios for Grueling 2nd-Round Win at Wimbledon 2019
Jul 4, 2019
Rafael Nadal pulled through a four-set battle against Nick Kyrgios on Thursday to advance to the third round of Wimbledon 2019 following a struggle not many might have expected.
The two stars engaged in one of the most entertaining matches of the tournament thus far. However, it was Nadal who emerged a 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (3) victor and will advance to meet Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the next round.
Nadal has advanced to the Wimbledon third round for the 10th time in his career, but the emotion he showed at times against Kyrgios suggested this will go down as a special win despite being in the early stages.
Kyrgios showed his usual promise but couldn't stop himself from slipping behind 4-3 in his all-time career head-to-head against Nadal.
There was rarely a dull moment between eminent professional Nadal and the more tempestuous Kyrgios, a player whose actions between points often attract just as much attention as during them.
This fixture had a bit of everything: heated discussions between player and umpire, shots into opponents, underarm serves, arguments with the box and more, most of which was thanks to Kyrgios.
The Australian had won three and lost three against Nadal coming into Thursday's fixture, and it was telling that Kyrgios won their only previous encounter on grass here at Wimbledon in 2014.
Using the slip of the surface to his advantage, the 24-year-old got creative in how he took the game to Nadal, via BBC Sport:
The Centre Court spectacle looked to take the spotlight at times as Kyrgios got into words with the official on several occasions, mostly when a review didn't go as he had hoped. However, the quality of his play was consistently high even as Nadal took a first-set lead.
Kyrgios started to press his advance in the second set and found success moving to the net against Nadal. Per the officialWimbledon website, he went from losing two net points in the first set to succeeding with more than 25 in the remaining sets.
Nadal enjoyed a clean—if not perfect—opening set but suffered two breaks of serve in the second, and tennis writer Ben Rothenberg could fell the competition building:
Kyrgios has attracted criticism for a lack of effort in the past and has even earned some calls for hisearly retirement. But for all the controversy, his promise and potential to battle alongside the best in the sport was clear for all to see.
His tactics also appeared to ruffle the Spaniard's feathers, and Nadal was as emotionally involved in this match as he has been for a long time.
Kyrgios rasped a pretty intentional-looking forehand into his opponent at one stage. Commentator David Law described Kyrgios' seemingly nonplussed reaction:
Robbing Nadal of his usually calm composure was perhaps Kyrgios' best chance of bringing his foe onto level ground. BBC Sport's Phil McNulty was a fan of the method, controversy and all:
Kyrgios' serve was a menace all afternoon and gave him a sturdy foundation to build from and stay in the match despite Nadal going up two sets to one. In total, the Australian recorded 29 aces to Nadal's 10.
Even the duo's tiebreaks were agonisingly close, but it was during the second (to decide the fourth set and match) that the exhaustion of a match opposite Nadal seemed to set in for Kyrgios.
He ended four points off the world No. 2 in what was probably the most clear-cut portion of the match, which Rothenberg agreed was welcome for all the entertainment it offered:
It's unsurprising for a player like Nadal to attract the bulk of the cheers at Wimbledon, but the audience was fully appreciative of Kyrgios, too, and the spectacle he played a major hand in.
Unseeded Tsonga will have been glad to see his third-round rival endure a tougher-than-expected test ahead of their clash, and Nadal will savour a day's rest before they're scheduled to clash on Saturday.
Wimbledon 2019: Serena Williams, Federer, Nadal Wins Highlight Tuesday's Results
Jul 2, 2019
Switzerland's Roger Federer celebrates after beating South Africa's Lloyd Harris in a Men's singles match during day two of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Tuesday, July 2, 2019. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)
Roger Federer overcame a poor start to win his first-round match in the 2019 Wimbledon tournament on Tuesday, beating Lloyd Harris in four sets. Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams also had winning debuts.
Federer looked a little rusty to start but found his groove in the second set, eventually cruising to the finish line. Williams showed flashes of her greatness against Giulia Gatto-Monticone, and Nadal overcame a solid challenge fromYuichi Sugita.
Defending champion Angelique Kerber won her first match as well, but the upsets continued on Tuesday, as Dominic Thiem lost to Sam Querrey.
Here are select results from Tuesday's action:
Men's Singles
(2) Roger Federer bt. Lloyd Harris: 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2
Federer made far too many mistakes in the opening set, missing easy volleys at the net and not finding his range with his groundstrokes. He picked up the pace in the second set, however, and once he did, Harris had no answers.
Nadal also showed signs of rust in his win over Sugita, as the Japanese underdog secured an early break. The Spaniard soon picked up the pace, however, impressing with his play at the net:
He obliterated Sugita in the second set, and while the 30-year-old improved in the third, it wasn't enough to halt Nadal's march to the next round, where he'll face Nick Kyrgios.
Williams started strong against Gatto-Monticone, and while her level of play dropped at times in the second set, the 37-year-old still impressed in her win.
She could face Kristyna Pliskova in the next round if the Czech serve specialist can get past Kaja Juvan.
The men's draw served up even more upsets on Tuesday, as Thiem collapsed after a strong start, losing to Querrey:
Per tennis writer Chris Goldsmith, numerous big names and top contenders in both the men's and women's draw have already bowed out of the tournament:
Thiem OUT Zverev OUT Tsitsipas OUT Monfils OUT Osaka OUT Venus Williams OUT Muguruza OUT Sabalenka OUT Vondrousova OUT Garcia OUT Kasatkina OUT Bouchard OUT
Defending champion Kerber took care of business, however, beating compatriot Tatjana Maria in two sets. That win set up a clash with Lauren Davis in Round 2.
In-form Ashleigh Barty, who won the Birmingham Classic to ascend to the top of the WTA rankings last month, also booked her ticket to the next round with an easy win over Zheng Saisai.
Wimbledon 2019 Prize Money: Complete Purse and Earnings from London
Jul 1, 2019
Serbia's Novak Djokovic lifts the trophy after winning the men's singles final match against Kevin Anderson of South Africa, at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships, in London, Sunday July 15, 2018.(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
The eyes of the sporting world will be fixated on London for the next fortnight as Wimbledon gets underway.
In the men's draw, Novak Djokovic is the defending champion and top seed, but he'll face fierce competition from the likes of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for the title in 2019. Djokovic is on the hunt for a fifth Wimbledon success and a 16th Grand Slam title overall.
The women's bracket is wide open, with Ashleigh Barty the top-seeded player after her win at the French Open earlier in the year. The likes of Naomi Osaka, Karolina Pliskova, Serena Williams and 2018 winner Angelique Kerber are also expected to be in the frame for victory.
Read on for full details of the prize money the competitors are playing for and a preview of what to expect from SW19 this year.
Wimbledon Prize Money
Winner - £2.35 million
Runner-Up - £1.18 million
Semi-Final - £588,000
Quarter-Final - £294,000
Round 4 - £176,000
Round 3 - £111,000
Round 2 - £72,000
Round 1 - £45,000
The full purse for the event is £28.49 million. A full breakdown of prize money for the 2019 tournament is available on the Wimbledon website.
Preview
Once again, the same names look likely to dominate the men's draw at Wimbledon, with Federer, Nadal and Djokovic still the standout performers in the field.
After Australian Open success for Djokovic and another French Open win for Nadal earlier in the year, the duo are both getting closer to Federer's record haul of 20 Grand Slam titles; the former has 15, while Nadal has 18.
Per Agence France-Presse Sport, when it comes to the biggest events on the tennis calendar, invariably one of the historic trio will win the trophy at the end of it:
Federer will also see this event as a big chance to add another Grand Slam to his name, having watched Nadal and Djokovic win the two other majors this year. The 37-year-old won his eighth Wimbledon title in 2017 and has unrivalled pedigree when it comes to Centre Court.
Djokovic has been sublime in the Grand Slams since winning Wimbledon last year, though, and it's likely he'll be too strong for the rest again.
He's been preparing for the tournament by rekindling some memories of the 2018 final:
However, Barty has been placed in a challenging top quarter of the draw, with a number of big-name players set to go head-to-head early in the tournament:
One of those is Williams, who would make it a remarkable 24 Grand Slams with a win at SW19 this summer.
The American's last major glory was in January 2017, and she's struggled for form at times this season. Yet with seven Wimbledon titles to her name, you would back the veteran to turn on the style over the next fortnight.
It's hard to pick a winner, though, with so many high-class players at the top of the women's game at the moment. Osaka, Pliskova and Simona Halep will all be relieved to be away from that tough quarter and will fancy their chances of making progress as a result.
Wimbledon 2019 TV Schedule and Live-Stream Daily Listings for Entire Tournament
Jun 30, 2019
LONDON - ENGLAND JULY 15: Novak Djokovic from Serbia with winners trophy after defeating Kevin Anderson from South Africa (not pictured) in the Men's Singles Final. The Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championship at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club at Wimbledon on July 15th, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Simon Bruty/Any Chance/Getty Images)
Following Friday's draw, excitement is beginning to build for one of the sporting spectacles of the summer, with Wimbledon getting underway in earnest on Monday.
Novak Djokovic begins the defence of his title with the tournament's opening match on Centre Court, where he will face Philipp Kohlschreiber. Meanwhile, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer are in the same half of the bracket, and they face Yuichi Sugita and Lloyd Harris, respectively, in Round 1.
In the women's draw, 2018 winner Angelique Kerber will start off against Tatjana Maria. Elsewhere, French Open champion and new world No. 1 Ashleigh Barty will meet Zheng Saisai, with Serena Williams beginning her bid for a 24th Grand Slam title against Giulia Gatto-Monticone.
Coverage Information
In the United Kingdom, the feature matches can be watched on BBC One and Two, while selected games are available via the red button. The action can be streamed via BBC iPlayer.
The Wimbledon website offers full details on the broadcast services available.
Preview
Wimbledon has a unique seeding method for the competition and for the 2019 tournament. For example, Nadal has been seeded third behind Federer despite holding a higher world ranking than the Swiss.
Nadal, the world No. 2, said the decision "doesn't seem fair," and he is guaranteed to meet one of Djokovic or Federer in the semi-finals should all three players perform as expected.
However, the 18-time Grand Slam champion can't allow himself to think too far ahead, as he's been handed a potentially testing route to the final at SW19. The ATP Tour detailed the numerous challenges he will have to overcome if he's to win a third Wimbledon title:
Third seed @RafaelNadal is in the third quarter of the draw.
His projected @Wimbledon draw (based on seedings). ✏️
One of the standout matches in Nadal's possible run to the final is the Round 2 clash with the enigmatic Nick Kyrgios. The latter burst on to the scene with a thrilling four-set win over the Spaniard in 2014 at Wimbledon, although aside from a few flashes of genius, the Australian has failed to build on that breakthrough.
Djokovic will be content with his draw and is clearly pleased to be back:
In the women's draw, it will be fascinating to see how Barty handles the extra pressure of being the top seed, having leaped to the summit of the world rankings after her French Open success earlier in the year.
Her game will come in for a serious examination on the grass courts, though. Per George Bellshaw of Metro, there are a number of high-profile players and former Wimbledon winners in the Australian's quarter:
It means Williams will also have to raise her levels if she's to clinch a first Grand Slam since her Australian Open success in 2017. She's not played since a loss to Sofia Kenin at the French Open on June 1, either.
But the story of the opening round may involve Serena's sister, Venus Williams. In Cori Gauff, she will be facing a player 24 years her junior in Round 1:
Five observations from the Wimbledon draw this morning:
- Cori Gauff (15) vs Venus Williams (39) - Potential Nadal vs Kyrgios second round - Kind draws all round for the Brits - Murray brothers could meet in third round - Very strong top women's quarterhttps://t.co/IUutmhPerR
While there's been plenty of focus on Nadal and Federer in the buildup to the tournament, Djokovic will be the man to beat again at SW19 this year.
The women's draw is wide-open, although a number of contenders will be eliminated in the brutal quarter containing Kerber, Williams and Barty. That will open things up for Naomi Osaka, who will be determined to perform well after her disappointing display at the French Open.
Wimbledon 2019 Draw: Bracket, Schedule and Preview of Men and Women's Event
Jun 28, 2019
LONDON - ENGLAND JULY 15: Novak Djokovic from Serbia with winners trophy after defeating Kevin Anderson from South Africa (not pictured) in the Men's Singles Final. The Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championship at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club at Wimbledon on July 15th, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Simon Bruty/Any Chance/Getty Images)
The 2019 Wimbledon Championships gets under way on Monday in south-west London with Novak Djokovic and Angelique Kerber as defending champions.
The first-round draw for the world's most historic tennis tournament took place on Friday and saw Djokovic paired with veteran Philipp Kohlschreiber, while Kerber will face fellow German Tatjana Maria.
Roger Federer will start his campaign for a ninth title on the Wimbledon grass against 22-year-old Lloyd Harris, and Rafael Nadal was handed an opening match against Japanese qualifier Yuichi Sugita. Nick Kyrgios could await the Spaniard in the second round:
Throughout the tournament, play on Centre Court and No. 1 Court will begin at 1 p.m. BST (8 a.m. ET), with other courts starting from 11:30 a.m. BST (6:30 a.m. ET), with no play scheduled for Sunday, July 7.
For the competition's final weekend (Saturday, July 13, and Sunday, July 14), the action will start from 2 p.m. BST (9 a.m. ET) on Centre Court and an hour earlier on No. 1 Court.
Djokovic, Nadal and Federer remain the three major contenders for the Wimbledon title in 2019, and it is difficult to see anyone else lifting the famous trophy come the tournament's second Sunday.
Despite all now being in their thirties, the trio has won all of the last 10 Grand Slams between them, and 14 of the last 16 Wimbledon titles—the absent Andy Murray won the other two.
The new generation simply do not yet have an obvious contender. Dominic Thiem made the French Open final for the second year running earlier this month, but grass is not his surface. He has only once made it past the second round at Wimbledon.
Meanwhile, Alexander Zverev and Stefanos Tsitsipas are both hugely talented, but neither has made a Grand Slam final yet in their careers.
Out of the top three contenders, No. 3 seed Nadal is arguably an underdog despite winning the French Open.
He faces a tough route to the final, and his recent record on grass is relatively poor:
#Wimbledon formula bumping Federer over Nadal is getting attention. Can't say I object to whatsoever.
Nadal has only made one (1) grass court final in the last eight years, which was at ATP 250 Stuttgart in 2015. Federer has made thirteen (13) grass finals in that stretch.
The last time he won Wimbledon was back in 2010, since when Djokovic has won four titles and Federer two, and it would be no surprise to see the Serb and the Swiss face off in this year's final as seeds No. 1 and No. 2.
The women's draw is much more open and unpredictable. Some of the top picks for the title include French Open champion and world No. 1 Ashleigh Barty, U.S. and Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka, defending champion Kerber, seven-time winner Williams, two-time champion Petra Kvitova, or even home favourite Johanna Konta.
Since the start of 2017, there have been nine different winners of the 10 Grand Slam championships, with only Osaka winning twice.
PARIS, FRANCE - JUNE 1: Serena Williams of USA looks on during day 7 of the 2019 French Open at Roland Garros stadium on June 1, 2019 in Paris, France. (Photo by Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)
Williams' dominance has declined somewhat, but it would be foolish to bet against her on a surface she loves and at a tournament she has enjoyed so much success at.
The legendary American is just one more Grand Slam triumph from matching Margaret Court's record of 24 titles, a huge motivator for the 37-year-old.
Her invincible aura has faded, though. Kerber beat her in last year's Wimbledon final, as did Osaka at the 2018 U.S. Open final.
Barty's confidence will be at an all-time high after her Roland-Garros victory, and as the top seed, she is the one to beat.
The 23-year-old Australian remains in fine form having won the Birmingham Classic last week to take the world No. 1 spot, and she will open her Wimbledon campaign against China's Zheng Saisai.
French Open 2019 Men's Finals: Results, Stats for Rafael Nadal vs. Dominic Thiem
Jun 10, 2019
Rafael Nadal won his 12th French Open title at Roland-Garros on Sunday with a four-set victory over Dominic Thiem.
The Spaniard overcame the Austrian 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 in three hours and one minute to take his overall tally to 18 Grand Slam singles titles, just two behind Roger Federer's record.
1⃣2⃣th Roland-Garros title for Rafael Nadal after his win over 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 on Dominic Thiem. 🏆 Highlights with @emirates ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/veVGvtpUOf
The match was Nadal's 95th at Roland-Garros, and he has won a staggering 93 of those.
When Thiem took the second set, it was only the 27th set Nadal has dropped in that time, which serves to further remind us of his remarkable dominance at the French Open.
His 12th title win also saw him surpass Margaret Court's record of 11 singles titles at a single tournament, which she achieved at the Australian Open.
12 - With this new title in Roland-Garros, Rafael Nadal 🇪🇸 becomes the first player in the Open Era to win at least 12 times the same tournament (ATP 250, ATP 500, Masters 1000, Grand Slam)
Thiem provided some hope that the contest would at least be competitive when he drew first blood in the opening set, with a break in the fifth game for a 3-2 lead. Nadal quickly rattled off four games in a row, however.
An unexpected mistake from Nadal proved decisive in a tight second set, which had followed serve until the No. 2 seed, serving to force a tiebreaker, hit a backhand long to put Thiem level at one set apiece.
The No. 4 seed—who was playing for the fourth consecutive day because of interruptions to the schedule caused by the weather—seemed to have little left in the tank, though, as he took just one game apiece in the final two sets.
As tennis writer Steve Tignor demonstrated, it was still an improvement from Thiem, who lost in straight sets to Nadal in last year's final:
Nadal wins 12th (!) #RolandGarros title 63 57 61 61. The serve and volley were big factors for him; he won 73% of first serve points, and was 23 of 27 at net. Thiem took 7 games from Rafa here in 2017, 9 last year, 12 this year (and a set). https://t.co/OzjglSNAz5
Per the tournament's official website, Nadal finished the match having made 38 winners and 31 unforced errors. Thiem had the reverse—31 winners to 38 unforced errors.
The pair will soon gear up for Wimbledon, which begins on July 1.
Nadal, 33, will hope to add to his two titles at the All England Club, where he has not won the tournament since 2010.
As for Thiem, he has only made it past the second round at Wimbledon once in his five appearances there, so it would be a remarkable showing for him to get anywhere near the final.
French Open Prize Money 2019: Updated Purse Payout for Roland-Garros
Jun 9, 2019
Spain's Rafael Nadal lifts the trophy as he celebrates his record 12th French Open tennis tournament title after winning his men's final match against Austria's Dominic Thiem in four sets, 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1, at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Sunday, June 9, 2019. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
Rafael Nadal dispatched Dominic Thiem in four sets to secure his 12th career French Open championship and landed himself a hefty paycheck in the process.
Nadal joined Ashleigh Barty as the tournament's 2019 winners; Barty defeated Marketa Vondrousova for the women's title.
For both men and women, the 2019 tournament featured a record purse of $14 million with the winner receiving $2.62 million of it. WTA Tennis shared the complete list of payouts for the players, which are identical for the competitions.
Nadal's payday is the reward for a 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 triumph Sunday. The Spaniard collected his 18th major singles title, which is the second-most in men's history behind Roger Federer.
Barty, meanwhile, celebrated her first Grand Slam singles title and became the first Australian to win the French Open since Margaret Court did so 46 years ago in 1973.
Now ranked second in the world, Barty had a tremendous day on the clay and cruised to a 6-1, 6-3 domination.
"It is unbelievable. I'm a little speechless," Barty said Saturday, per Jonathan Jurejko of BBC Sport. "I played almost the perfect match."
Ashleigh Barty
Thiem and Vondrousova, despite the disappointment of losing in the final, may leave satisfied with $1.34 million. WTP notes the runner-up received a 5.36 percent raise compared to the 2018 tournament when Thiem also fell to Nadal.
The semifinalists―which featured Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer on the men's side and Johanna Konta and 17-year-old American Amanda Anisimova―landed a $662,000 check.
Granted, this is a case where a six-figure prize isn't always soothing. Djokovic wasn't pleased about the context of his exit.
"Obviously when you're playing in hurricane kind of conditions, you know, it's hard to perform your best," the 2016 French Open champion said, according to Luigi Gatto of Tennis World.
Nevertheless, he lasted one round longer than a group of quarterfinalists that included Stan Wawrinka, Alexander Zverev, Simona Halep and Sloane Stephens. They earned $466,000 apiece.
Players who reached the round of 16 each collected $273,000, followed by $143,000 for third-round exits. Those defeated in the first and second rounds received $52,000 and $98,000, respectively.
Follow Bleacher Report writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.
