Everyone is used to seeing Rafael Nadal dominate the clay-court season, particularly in Paris. For most of his straight-set win over Dominic Thiem in the Roland Garros final, he did just that.
But in the third set, comfortably ahead by a break at 2-1, something unusual happened—Nadal's left hand cramped. It was a scary moment for him, and his many supporters in Paris.
"It was the best match tournament of me. It was important because Dominic is a very aggressive player. I had a tough moment in the third set when I got cramp in my hand," Nadal said. "I was very scared. But that is sport."
The few moments of drama, complete with a doctor visit and arm massages, may have been the most surprising part of the one-sided final. To be completely fair, Nadal also needed five match points to close out the 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 win.