Quin Snyder’s decision on Sunday to abruptly step down as coach of the Utah Jazz took much of the NBA world by surprise.
Especially the franchise's star player.
Donovan Mitchell was reportedly "surprised and disappointed" by Snyder's decision to step away after eight seasons in Utah, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, and has been left "unsettled, unnerved and wondering what it means for the franchise’s future."
The 55-year-old Snyder had led the Jazz to six straight playoff berths, three Northwest Division crowns and the NBA's best record in the 2020-21 season, but the team had not been able to advance past the Western Conference semi-finals.
''Love Quin. I love Quin. Love Quin,'' Mitchell said after the Jazz were ousted in the first round by the Dallas Mavericks in April. ''He's a guy that gave me an opportunity when I first got here and trusted in me, believed in me. He's a guy that I think has had so much talked about and he's been headstrong, he's been steady with it throughout the year.''
Mitchell has been the face of the franchise since his 2017-18 rookie season, earning a third-straight All-Star Game appearance this past season while finishing ninth in the league in scoring at 25.9 points per game.
The 25-year-old signed a five-year maximum contract extension with the Jazz in 2020, and considered his positive relationship with Snyder a significant reason he opted to stay in Salt Lake City.
Mitchell, who is owed $67.5million for the next two seasons, followed by a $37m player option, reportedly respects Snyder's decision for stepping down but is left wondering how the franchise will respond to such a sudden and significant change in leadership.
Snyder is the second-winningest coach in franchise history behind Hall of Famer Jerry Sloan, and since he took over in Utah in 2014-15, only Steve Kerr, Doc Rivers, Mike Budenholzer and Gregg Popovich compiled more wins than Snyder's 372.
American cycling great Greg LeMond has been diagnosed with leukaemia.
LeMond, a two-time world champion and three-time Tour de France winner, retired from cycling in 1994.
The 60-year-old is also the only American to claim the Tour de France after Lance Armstrong and Floyd Landis were stripped of their wins over banned substances.
LeMond revealed in a statement on his website on Monday that he is receiving treatment for chronic myelogenous leukaemia.
"Fortunately, it is a type of cancer that is treatable, and it is a type of leukaemia that is not life-threatening or debilitating," he wrote.
"I had been experiencing a few weeks of fatigue which prompted me to go in for a check-up which included some blood work.
"Following a series of tests and a bone marrow biopsy, which was completed last week, I received my formal diagnosis last Friday.
"No one ever wants to hear the word 'cancer' but, admittedly, there is great relief, now, to know why I was feeling poorly. My doctors and I have decided on a treatment which will begin this week.
"I should be feeling better in a few weeks and for the near future, my daily schedule will be altered only a little and I have been told that in a few months, I should be in remission."
LeMond assured "the long-term prognosis is very favourable" and hopes to return to France to watch the Tour next year.
"I had hoped to be in France in July for the Tour, but we are, now, working on an alternate plan so I can follow the Tour and engage with friends and teammates from our offices and farm in Tennessee," he added.
"I will look forward to returning to the Tour next summer! I will keep everyone updated about my health and treatments in the months ahead but for now, I believe I couldn't be in better hands.
"I am excited about our plans ahead and I look forward to updating you all along the way."
Eddie Jones has included five new faces in a 35-man England training camp ahead of the tour of Australia next month.
Charlie Atkinson, Biyi Alo, Freddie Clarke, Sam Jeffries and Patrick Schickerling have been called up for the first time.
Wing Jonny May is back in the fold after recovering from a knee injury, while Luke Cowan-Dickie (knee) and Anthony Watson (calf) will also be in camp undertaking rehabilitation work.
Players who will feature in Premiership semi-finals this weekend will not report for international duty.
England face the Barbarians at Twickenham a week on Saturday before a three-match series against the Wallabies, starting in Perth on July 2.
Red Rose head coach Jones said: "With a number of players unavailable because of the Premiership semi-finals, we've got the opportunity to call up some new players.
"It's a great opportunity to learn about them and see what potential they have to play a part in the Australia tour.
"We look forward to continuing the good work from our last camp in developing this team on and off the pitch."
England training squad:
Forwards: Biyi Alo, Alfie Barbeary, Jamie Blamire, Callum Chick, Freddie Clarke, Tom Curry, Trevor Davison, Charlie Ewels, Will Goodrick-Clarke, Jonny Hill, Ted Hill, Sam Jeffries, George McGuigan, Tom Pearson, Bevan Rodd, Patrick Schickerling, Jack Singleton, Will Stuart, Sam Underhill, Jack Willis.
Backs: Henry Arundell, Charlie Atkinson, Mark Atkinson, Orlando Bailey, Joe Cokanasiga, Ollie Hassell-Collins, Will Joseph, Jonny May, Jack Nowell, Paolo Odogwu, Max Ojomoh, Tom Parton, Adam Radwan, Harry Randall, Dan Robson.
The Boston Celtics were left to wonder what might have been after a poor third quarter saw them lose Game 2 of the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors on Sunday, levelling the series at 1-1.
An underwhelming first half performance saw the Celtics trail by only two points, and after their incredible fourth quarter showing in Game 1, the hope for Boston was they could finish strongly again and take a commanding 2-0 lead.
However, after finding themselves trailing by 23 points by the time the final quarter arrived, they had left themselves far too much to do.
Celtics coach Ime Udoka blamed the amount of turnovers, saying after the 107-88 defeat at Chase Center: "That's been an ongoing theme in the playoffs so far. We've turned over the ball. Take teams out of scoring against us in the half court, give them some baskets.
"But it was more of the same in that third quarter. We had 11 for 18 points in that first half and gave up five or six more in that quarter. Kind of blew it open, and that hampered our offense, as well."
Jayson Tatum - who top-scored for the Celtics with 28 points, though ended the game with a minus-36, which is the worst plus-minus of the 24-year-old's career - agreed with Udoka on turnovers, but also pointed to the general sloppiness at the start of the third-quarter that saw the Warriors pull away.
"I think tonight, turnovers, and I think sometimes letting our offense affect how we defend, kind of was a little stagnant in the third quarter," Tatum said.
"I feel like it translated on the defensive end, and they got going and hitting shots and things like that."
Boston have now been outscored by at least 14 points on four occasions in the third quarter during this year's playoffs, and guard Derrick White also expressed his frustration at the increasing trend of losing the game just after half-time.
"Yeah, it's definitely frustrating," he said. "I mean, we've talked about it pretty much the whole postseason. It's easy to talk about, but we've got to go out there and change something.
"That was a big quarter for them and really a quarter that put us away."
The Golden State Warriors evened up the NBA Finals on Sunday, comfortably defeating the Boston Celtics 107-88 on Sunday.
Stephen Curry was at his transformative best, finishing up with 29 points on nine-of-21 shooting, six rebounds, four assists and three steals.
Pertinently, facing an 0-2 series deficit, putting Curry in high pick-and-roll actions with Draymond Green forced the Celtics into tricky defensive situations.
The Warriors were able to get the shots they wanted as a result of Curry's presence, as well as the lingering injury troubles of Robert Williams III affecting Boston's rim protection.
Gary Payton returned after his gruesome injury sustained against the Memphis Grizzlies and did not miss a beat in the Finals atmosphere, pitching in with seven points, three assists and three rebounds while providing critical defensive presence.
They scored 40 points in the paint over the game in comparison to the Celtics' 24, while shooting 40.5 per cent from the perimeter.
This came despite Curry and Klay Thompson shooting a combined six-of-20 from beyond the arc.
After their offensive explosion in the fourth quarter to take the opening game, the Celtics shot 37.5 per cent from the floor, while 18 turnovers were critical.
The Dubs scored 33 points off those Celtics turnovers, blowing the game wout with a 35-14 third quarter, capped off with an extraordinary buzzer-beating three-pointer from half-court.
Marcus Smart was ineffective on both ends of the floor, failing to restrict Curry in pick-and-roll situations while going one-of-six from the floor and committing five turnovers.
Draymond Green lauded the performance of Stephen Curry on both sides of the ball after the Golden State Warriors blew the Boston Celtics out 107-88 on Sunday.
The Warriors were up by 29 points at one stage in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, on their way to evening the series up in San Francisco.
Curry was transformative on and off the ball in both offensive and defensive senses, finishing with 29 points, six rebounds, four assists, three steals and something even more reflective of his overall impact, an astounding net rating of +39.6.
Green was full of praise after the win, putting Curry's status even before Kevin Durant left for the Brooklyn Nets into perspective.
"I thought he was incredible," Green said post-game. "Most importantly, his decision-making was great. He got off the ball, he didn't drive into traffic, he took what the defence gave him.
"I think for the first six minutes of that game he had zero points. He wasn't forcing anything and let the game come to him, and we all followed that.
"Our offence is always a lot of Steph. It all starts with Steph. When KD [Durant] was here it still started with Steph, and that's the way it's going to be."
The barrage of three-pointers by the Warriors obscured Curry's three steals and ability to stay in front of the ball, especially given the latter has been an important factor in each of the Warriors' previous three series in the Western Conference this post-season.
Despite offensive focus from opposition teams onto Curry, Green insisted the former unanimous MVP has worked to improve defensively and should be respected on that side of the court.
"I have been talking about it for the last couple of years, how much he's improved on that side of the ball" Green said. "Teams used to try to call him into every action and just try to pick on him.
"That's doesn't work anymore. He guards, and we're all there behind him if he does need help but hasn't been needing that often and it's great.
"I've spoken about how much stronger he is. He's able to hold his ground, so you're not able to bump him off his spot, and that's been huge for us. I'm not shocked he's playing that type of defence."
JD Davis stepped up for the New York Mets with an RBI double in the 10th inning on Sunday, propelling them to a 5-4 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Starling Marte homered early off Julio Urias in the third, but the Mets had to recover after letting a two-run lead slip in the ninth inning.
Pete Alonso's double secured the tying run in that eighth inning, and then scored off Eduardo Escobar's sacrifice fly, before bringing the Mets' eighth win in 11 off Davis' double.
Adonis Medina retired Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman to set up the win in extra innings, despite runners on the corners, striking out Will Smith for his first save in Mets colours.
The Mets managed to split the four-game series between the National League's two best records with the win, extending their lead atop the NL East.
Harper and Stott lead Philadelphia fightback
Bryson Stott hit a game-winning three-run home run as the Philadelphia Phillies rallied to beat the Los Angeles Angels 9-7.
The rookie hit the winning homer after the Angels let a 6-2 lead record slip in the eighth inning, following a Bryce Harper grand slam off Raisel Iglesias.
It was the fourth consecutive win for the Phillies, who have won all three games under interim Rob Thomson since Joe Girardi's dismissal on Friday, while the Angels were consigned to their 10th straight loss.
Twins top up in Toronto
The Minnesota Twins extended their lead in the American League Central, defeating the Toronto Blue Jays 8-6 on the road.
Twins designated hitter Luis Arraez continued his impressive form, going four-for-four with a walk and moving his batting average for the season to .358, the leading rate in baseball.
The Twins had 16 hits as they took two of three games in Toronto, with Jovani Moran earning his first career save.
The Golden State Warriors evened up the NBA Finals on Sunday, comfortably defeating the Boston Celtics 107-88 on Sunday.
Stephen Curry was at his transformative best, finishing up with 29 points on nine-of-21 shooting, six rebounds, four assists and three steals.
Pertinently, facing an 0-2 series deficit, putting Curry in high pick-and-roll actions with Draymond Green forced the Celtics into tricky defensive situations.
The Warriors were able to get the shots they wanted as a result of Curry's presence, as well as the lingering injury troubles of Robert Williams III affecting Boston's rim protection.
Gary Payton returned after his gruesome injury sustained against the Memphis Grizzlies and did not miss a beat in the Finals atmosphere, pitching in with seven points, three assists and three rebounds while providing critical defensive presence.
They scored 40 points in the paint over the game in comparison to the Celtics' 24, while shooting 40.5 per cent from the perimeter.
This came despite Curry and Klay Thompson shooting a combined six-of-20 from beyond the arc.
After their offensive explosion in the fourth quarter to take the opening game, the Celtics shot 37.5 per cent from the floor, while 18 turnovers were critical.
The Dubs scored 33 points off those Celtics turnovers, blowing the game wout with a 35-14 third quarter, capped off with an extraordinary buzzer-beating three-pointer from half-court.
Marcus Smart was ineffective on both ends of the floor, failing to restrict Curry in pick-and-roll situations while going one-of-six from the floor and committing five turnovers.
The 3-2 favourite Blue Vinyl used a devastating last-furlong acceleration to stage a massive win in Sunday’s Jamaica 2000 Guineas at Caymanas Park, giving young rider Raddesh Roman his first ever Classic success.
Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper praised his side's ability to stay calm, after they snatched a 3-2 win from the New York Rangers in Game 3 on Sunday.
The Lightning were down 2-0 in the second period after power-play goals from Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider, but they rallied and Ondrej Palat scored the winning goal with 42 seconds remaining in the game.
After losing the first two games in the Eastern Conference finals, Cooper's side cut the series deficit to 2-1 with the win, keeping their hopes to retain the Stanley Cup alive.
The Lightning coach asserted his side could draw on extensive playoff experience in fighting back from losing position.
"We've been in spots like this," Cooper said post-game. "The big thing for us was, I felt like we had a recipe, we just had to stay with it. I think there are times in this series, we've tried to manufacture things that weren't there, that put us on our heels and gave up opportunities.
"Whether it was a break, whatever you want to call, we weren't in sync. Today we were down 2-0 and I don't want to sit here and say we didn't deserve to be down 2-0 because their power plays have been great, but our five-on-five game I liked.
"We just needed to stick with that and stay out of the box. I think in years past, maybe, panic would have set in at some point – definitely not with this group. No question, being there before, it's really helped us."
Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos were able to restore parity for the reigning champions, before Kucherov provided the crafty assist for Palat in the final minute.
Game 4 is on Tuesday, with the Rangers looking to make their first appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals since 2014.
Minjee Lee claimed the second major tournament of her career on Sunday, winning the U.S. Women's Open by four strokes from Mina Harigae.
The 26-year-old shot an even-par 71 on Sunday at Pine Needles, extending her one-stroke lead from Harigae coming into the final round.
The world number four coming into this weekend, Lee started strongly with birdies on the opening two holes of the round, giving her a healthy buffer from the chasing pack.
Lee broke the record for the lowest total score over 72 holes with 271, beating the scores of 272 set by Chun In-gee, Juli Inkster and Annika Sorenstam.
She also became the third Australian to win the US Women's Open after Jan Stephenson and Karrie Webb, who also won at Pine Needles in 2001.
Quin Snyder has resigned as coach of the Utah Jazz after eight seasons in charge.
Snyder was appointed as head coach of Utah in 2014, signing a three-year contract before extending his deal twice to prolong his stay in Salt Lake City.
The 55-year-old transformed the Jazz into a competitive playoff force, reaching the postseason for the last six straight seasons, although they have not progressed past the conference semi-finals in that run.
Snyder was the joint-third longest-serving coach in NBA, alongside Golden State Warriors' Steve Kerr, who trails Miami Heat's Erik Spoelstra and San Antonio Spurs' Gregg Popovich.
Having overseen a period of change in Utah, Snyder departs with the second-best winning record of any Jazz coach after boasting a 372-264 regular-season record.
"Quin Snyder has embodied what Jazz basketball is for the last eight years," said Jazz owner Ryan Smith.
"The tireless work ethic and attention to detail Quin displayed each day is a testament to the professional he is. I have nothing but admiration for Quin and respect his decision.
"We thank Quin and Amy from the bottom of our hearts for all of their contributions to the state of Utah and the Jazz and wish them nothing but the best."
Reports suggested Utah were intent on agreeing a new contract with Snyder, who is said to want to take a season's break to recuperate before he considers a new coaching role.
"At the core, and what drives me every day is our players and their passion for the game, their desire to constantly work to improve and their dedication to the team and the Jazz," Snyder said.
"I strongly feel they need a new voice to continue to evolve. That's it. No philosophical differences, no other reason. After eight years, I just feel it is time to move onward.
"I needed to take time to detach after the season and make sure this was the right decision. I greatly respect and appreciate Ryan, Danny [Ainge] and Justin's [Zanik] discussions regarding moving forward together, I just know it is time.
"I am forever appreciative of all the players, coaches, partners, and people I have worked with at the Jazz. Your sacrifice, your kinship have made this an incredible and special experience.
"Amy and I are so grateful for our time here as it has been just a tremendous place to raise our family. Thank you to our always supportive and passionate fans. We only want the best for you and to see you raise a championship banner."
Billy Horschel secured victory at the Memorial Tournament on Sunday, shooting an even-par 72 to finish four strokes ahead of Aaron Wise.
Horschel had a healthy buffer at the start of play on Sunday with a five-shot lead and kept it relatively steady, but had to come up with some big shots on the back nine to take the win.
After a bogey on the sixth, the 35-year-old got back to even with a birdie on the par-three 10th.
A bogey on the 12th took him back to one-over, yet a massive put on the par-five 15th for eagle gave Horschel a commanding lead.
It effectively shut the door on Wise, who had also birdied on 15, before he closed out the round with a bogey for a one-under 71.
It was Horschel's seventh tournament win on the PGA Tour, but his first with his family present. Greeted by them and tournament founder Jack Nicklaus after the win, Horschel spoke of the added significance of this triumph.
"It's special, it truly is," Horschel said after his round. "Jack's a legend of the game and to win his event, you've seen the guys who have won this event, just legends in their own right, it's pretty special.
"We joke about it in the family but my wife and my kids have never been to any of my victories. My parents have, and so, having a five-shot lead knowing that this was mine to sort of go out and win or lose, and having them here, I really wanted to win."
Horschel moved into the FedEx Cup's top 10 with the win, just 19 points behind Jon Rahm in ninth.
Excluding the 2021 WGC Match Play, defeating Scottie Scheffler in the final, this win is his first on the PGA Tour in a regular four-round format since the 2018 Zurich Classic.
Coming into Sunday with that five-stroke lead, Horschel was determined to maintain rather than extend that margin.
"I've watched Tiger play enough, and I wasn't around when Jack was playing in his heyday, but you knew he was unbelievable at course management," he said.
"He knew how to plot his way around a golf course and learn from those two, and understand, when you have a lead, you don't have to do anything special. You've just got to make sure you don't give any shots back.
"I did give some back and I was a little upset about it, but we just put the ball on the green, two-putting, trying not to do anything special and if I had to do something special, then I was ready for it. That eagle on 15 was huge."
Rafael Nadal can make it three grand slam titles out of three if his body holds up sufficiently well for Wimbledon, says Tim Henman.
After adding the French Open title to the Australian Open that he won in January, Nadal is halfway to a possible calendar grand slam of all four majors.
That was last achieved in men's singles in 1969, when Australian great Rod Laver carried off the full set.
Nadal received injections before every match at Roland Garros to effectively send his troublesome left foot to sleep and curb pain, and he will have radiofrequency treatment in a bid to ensure he can go in search of a third major title of the year at the All England Club.
The 36-year-old Spaniard hopes to be able to be in London when Wimbledon starts on June 27, and having won there in 2008 and 2010, he will believe in his chances of a third slam on grass.
Former world number four Henman told Eurosport: "If Nadal is healthy, which is a big challenge now with this foot injury, can he win Wimbledon? Absolutely. So I think that's incredibly exciting."
Nadal now has 14 French Opens among his 22 grand slams, a men's record, and is two clear of Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic who share second place on the all-time majors list.
Federer might be finished as a force at the top level, although he appears ready to give it one more shot later in the year, while Djokovic will likely start as favourite for Wimbledon glory, regardless of Nadal's recent feats.
"In terms of who's going to end up with the most grand slams, a couple of years ago I would have said Djokovic, for sure," said Henman, a perennial British favourite at Wimbledon who reached four semi-finals there. He now sits on the board of the All England Club, the tournament hosts.
"Right now, with that little bit of distance, I think Nadal has got a great chance. It's going to be fascinating to see. You've got another opportunity in three weeks' time, so fingers crossed, I so hope Nadal can be there on grass."
Rafael Nadal says he will play at Wimbledon if his body allows him to after winning a record-extending 14th French Open title on Sunday.
The legendary Spaniard has now won two more majors than Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic after taking his astonishing haul to 22 with a 6-3 6-3 6-0 defeat of Casper Ruud at Roland Garros.
Nadal's latest triumph was achieved despite the 36-year-old having anaesthetic injections on his nerves that left his foot "asleep."
The Mallorca native revealed he was barely able to walk after beating Corentin Moutet in the second round of his favourite tournament in Paris.
Nadal says he was given a couple of injections before every match and will undergo radio frequency injections in a bid to ensure he can go in search of a third major title of the year at the All England Club.
The record-breaking Nadal is not sure if he would want to undergo a major operation to prolong his career, but hopes to be able to be in London when Wimbledon starts on June 27.
He said: "I'm going to be in Wimbledon if my body is ready to be in Wimbledon. That's it. Wimbledon is not a tournament that I want to miss.
"I think nobody wants to miss Wimbledon. I love Wimbledon. I had a lot of success there. I have lived amazing emotions there. So full credit and respect to the tournament.
"A player like me, I am always ready to play Wimbledon. So if you ask me if I will be in Wimbledon, I can't give you a clear answer. If I want to win Wimbledon, of course. Let's see how the treatment works.
"I don't know. I don't want to talk about how many injections I had, because as you can imagine, I had to take a lot of anti-inflammatories too. But before every single match I had to do a couple of injections."
Nadal has ruled out putting himself through the same treatment during Wimbledon that he underwent during his latest glorious run in Paris.
He added: "Wimbledon is a priority, always has been a priority. If I am able to play with anti-inflammatories, yes; to play with anaesthetic injections, no.
"I don't want to put myself in that position again. It can happen once, but it is not a philosophy of life that I want to follow. So let's see.
"I am always a positive guy, and I am always expect the things going the right way. So let's be confident, and let's be positive. Then let's see what's going on."
Roger Federer's coach called for Court Philippe-Chatrier to be named after Rafael Nadal and Real Madrid paid tribute to the legendary Spaniard after he won a staggering 14th French Open title.
Nadal produced yet another masterclass at Roland Garros, beating Casper Ruud 6-3 6-3 6-0 to secure a record-extending 22nd grand slam title on Sunday.
There have been concerns the 36-year-old may be forced to retire due to a foot injury, but one of the all-time greats vowed to fight on after completing the Australian Open and Roland Garros double in the same year for the first time.
Nadal was imperious as he moved two clear of Federer and Novak Djokovic's haul of major crowns.
The 'King of Clay' has won an astonishing 112 French Open matches and suffered only three defeats in one of the most astonishing sporting dominances.
Ivan Ljubicic, Federer's coach, called for the main show court at Roland Garros to be named after Nadal.
He tweeted: "Not many PLAYED 14 @rolandgarros tournaments. He won it 14 times. There is no word to describe this feat. Don't think good old Philippe would mind if his court changes the name to Rafael Nadal - statue is not enough."
Never meet your heroes. Casper Ruud was setting himself up for a fall when he described Rafael Nadal as "my idol for all my life" heading into Sunday's French Open final, and when that fall arrived it was spectacular.
Ruud versus Nadal on Court Philippe-Chatrier was a classic mismatch on paper, and on clay.
The fanboy stood no chance, swept away 6-3 6-3 6-0 as Nadal landed Roland Garros title number 14, an absurd feat of sporting staying power, becoming the oldest men's singles champion at the Paris grand slam, moving to 22 majors, two clear of Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.
If Ruud needs a little consolation, the great Federer, at the peak of his powers, only took four games off Nadal in the 2008 final.
This is not the 2008 Nadal though. This is Nadal at 36 years and two days old, a player who needed a doctor at his side during the past fortnight to allow him to step on court.
Nadal has a foot problem that is said to be incurable, but thankfully it is treatable.
"We played with no feeling on the foot," Nadal told Eurosport. "We played with an injection on the nerve so that the foot was asleep, so that's why I was able to play."
While the foot was sleeping, the rest of Nadal's body was picking up the slack.
Ruud was six years old in 2005 when Nadal won his first French Open, and 17 years later he had the best view in Court Philippe-Chatrier of the Spaniard again in full flow.
This was his first match against Nadal, although they have often practiced together at the Spaniard's academy in Mallorca, where Ruud has done much of his learning. Here was another lesson.
Nadal loves a mid-afternoon match with the roof open, and a warm day in the French capital only enhanced his sense that the place was feeling like home.
He was on top without being masterful in the opening set, simply doing enough against the first Norwegian man to reach a slam final.
Trumpets blared Y Viva Espana when he wrapped that one up, then delivered a fanfare as Nadal strolled back onto court for the start of the second set.
He receives the first-class treatment in Paris, with the king of Spain, Felipe VI, on hand to witness the king of clay scale his latest career height.
There was perhaps brief concern for his royal highness when Ruud broke Nadal's serve early in the second set to eke out a 3-1 lead, but he needn't have worried.
Ruud won a 19-shot rally to earn three break points, and that was followed by a double fault from the favourite.
Nadal later called that game "a disaster", but he should probably let it go.
Armed with a 3-1 lead in that second set, it was imperative that Ruud should build on that.
He didn't win another game.
When Nadal swatted away a forehand to bring up a break point in the second game of the third set, he had Ruud right where he wanted him, and a vicious backhand out of the Norwegian's reach secured a seventh successive game.
Number eight followed, and then a ninth as the clean winners flowed from Nadal's racket. The winners and the games kept coming.
The contest had moved into mercy-killing territory. Make it quick Rafa, as painless as possible, don't drag it out.
When he fizzed a backhand down the line on match point, way out of Ruud's reach, it was all over. Two hours and 18 minutes was all it took. With a little less of his familiar between-points faffing, Nadal might have had it done inside two hours.
He lifted the Coupe des Mousquetaires with the gusto of a man who had never held it before, and that in itself spoke volumes for this achievement.
Nadal's Roland Garros record now shows 112 wins and just three defeats, and this was a 63rd title on clay – a 92nd title overall. What a career.
Andres Gimeno, also from Spain, was 34 years, 10 months and one day old when he captured the 1972 French Open title, and until Sunday he was the oldest men's champion at this event.
Nadal spoke afterwards of his determination to keep playing, keep "fighting". He wants to wring every last ounce of strength from a body that is letting him know that retirement cannot be far away, and he is getting incredible bang for his buck just now.
Which is why we can now look at Wimbledon, and pose the question: can he do this again on grass?
And if at this point you are thinking, 'surely not', just remember what he has achieved in Melbourne and now in Paris this year, and ask yourself instead: why ever not?
Kalle Samooja carded a magnificent final round of 64 to claim his maiden DP World Tour title in the European Open at Green Eagle in Winsen.
The Finn saw off Dutchman Wil Besseling by two strokes after posting an astonishing eight under on Sunday to seize victory from behind.
The 34-year-old had looked to be comfortably out of the running at the end of the third day, after a score of 74 left him two over following par scores on Thursday and Friday.
But Samooja was able to take advantage of a frustrating day for previous leader Victor Perez, who came back down to earth after a sublime hole-in-one on Saturday.
Having made par across the first five holes, a run of five birdies in the next seven helped haul the Samooja into contention as his rivals faded.
Back-to-back birdies on the 16th and 17th helped seal the deal, and Samooja was left to celebrate his first tour triumph after an unlikely surge.
Rafael Nadal claimed the 14th French Open title of his astonishing career and vowed he would "keep fighting" to earn even more success.
There had been speculation during this Roland Garros fortnight that Nadal could retire if he landed the trophy, a record-extending 22nd men's singles grand slam.
Yet the 36-year-old, who has won two majors this year despite being hampered by a long-bothersome foot problem, is determined to play on until his body refuses.
He thrashed Casper Ruud 6-3 6-3 6-0, reigning in Paris once again, some 17 years after his first triumph. Watched by the king of Spain, Felipe VI, Nadal was again sensational on the red clay, becoming the oldest champion.
"For me personally, it is very difficult to describe the feelings that I have," Nadal said.
"I for sure never believed I'd be here at 36 being competitive again, playing in the most important court of my career once again. It means a lot of energy to try to keep going."
Nadal told the crowd: "It's unbelievable to play here with your support. I don't know what can happen in the future, but I'm going to keep fighting to try to keep going."
Addressing Ruud, Norway's first men's grand slam singles finalist, Nadal said: "I want to congratulate you for an amazing career you are having, and this two weeks is a very important step forward, so I am very, very happy for you and for all your family. I'm very happy for you and wish you all the very best for the future."
Nadal praised his family and support team for giving him strength when times have been tough. He looked in intense pain recently in Rome, but Nadal has come back to take his career to new heights.
"It's completely amazing the things that are happening this year," said Nadal, who won the Australian Open in January. "Without you, nothing of this will be possible without any doubt.
"Especially in the very tough moments that we went through in terms of injuries. If I don't have a great support from the team – family, everybody that has been next to me – nothing of this would be possible because I would be retired much before, so many, many thanks for everything."
As Nadal considers whether he could push for a calendar grand slam by targeting Wimbledon and the US Open, Ruud will reflect on a tough first grand slam final experience.
Ruud idolised Nadal from a young age and in recent years has trained at the Spaniard's Mallorca academy.
Runner-up Ruud said: "The first thing and the most important thing is to congratulate Rafa. It's your 14th time here, a 22nd all-around in grand slams.
"We all know what a champion you are, and today I got to feel how it is to play you in a final, and it's not easy, and I'm not the first victim. I know there have been many before."
At that point, the crowd bellowed "Ruuuuudddd", the shout that sounds like a boo but is wholly affectionate. They have taken Ruud to their hearts, and once Nadal retires he may well have his own glory days on the Paris clay.
"To you, Rafa, your team, your family, you've taken me into your academy with open arms," Ruud added. "We all hope you will continue for some more time."
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