He is the only player in the open era to win a Grand Slam for 10 times.
Call it a ideal 10.
The 31-year-old Rafa hailed the French Open as the most special tournament for him.
The victory also marked Nadal's first Grand Slam success since he last won the French Open title in 2014, and he admitted that he was surprised to have enjoyed such prolonged success in his career.
Rafael Nadal plays a forehand during his dominant French Open final win.
"This win is incredible", Nadal said.
"The feeling I have here is impossible to describe. It's the most important event in my career, so to win here is something I can not describe", Nadal said after his win.
Nadal withdrew before the third round with an injured left wrist.
Despite having spent more than five hours on court getting to the final, 2015 champion Wawrinka had the first break point in the third game. Rafael Nadal is back. The sun was shining, there was barely a trace of cloud in the bright blue sky and the temperature was about 30 degrees Celsius. Of the 81 matches he has played at the French Open, he has won 79, proving he really is the king of the clay. His shots didn't have their usual verve, his legs their usual spring.
The colossal win is important for Nadal in one other respect.
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The second set was much more slanted toward Nadal from the onset.
Nadal has that way of wearing down opponents. On this day, he was terrific. Wawrinka won the match to clinch his first major championship. It was Nadal's 60th win in a row on clay.
Sometimes, the French Open offers some shocking outcomes. Nadal said when he first won the title in 2005 he would not have imagined he would still be playing in 2017, let alone winning, and said 10 titles had a special ring to it. But his game? Somehow, better. He lost to Novak Djokovic in the 2015 quarter-finals, then withdrew from the tournament before the third round past year because of an injured left wrist. "The last couple of years have been wonderful for you".
Nadal, who fired 27 winners, won all 12 service games, saving the lone break point he faced and making just 12 unforced errors. The four points Nadal won, included two forced errors from Wawrinka and a blistering forehand victor.
"Last year", Nadal said, "was not an easy one". Once passable, it is now potent.
Nadal saved all eight break points he faced. And I miss playing well at Wimbledon.
- The Spaniard bagged his 53rd claycourt title, four more than Argentine great Guillermo Vilas.
Wawrinka smashed his racket after giving up two set points and the fourth-seeded Nadal sealed it on his first, when the Swiss player returned long.
Even Wawrinka applauded that one.
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