Quote of the Day: "I'll tell my grandkids that I played Rafa on Chatrier"

WATCH: Match highlights as Rafael Nadal defeats Casper Ruud in the 2022 Roland Garros final.

To play his childhood idol Rafael Nadal on Court Philippe-Chatrier at least once was always a dream for 23-year-old Casper Ruud.

Having reached his first Grand Slam final to book their long-awaited first meeting, that dream quickly turned into a nightmare as the Spaniard routed Ruud 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 to lift his 14th Roland Garros trophy.

But the cool-headed Norwegian took it all in stride.

After a historic fortnight of putting his country on the tennis radar, Ruud will walk away with a new career-high ranking of world No. 6—and some unforgettable memories to pass on to his future grandkids:

Q. As a boy, you actually sat on Chatrier watching Rafa win a Grand Slam and then today you faced the toughest challenge in sport playing him. Where was the best place to be today, in the crowd on Chatrier or on the other side of the net against Rafa?

CASPER RUUD: Well, I enjoyed both days, but of course it was more fun to be there myself and play… This match will be something I will probably remember for the rest of my career. There are certain moments I think for everyone's career that you'll remember more than others, so this one will be high up on my list, the biggest match I ever played.

Of course, I wish I could make the match closer and all these things. But at the end of the day, I can hopefully one day tell my grandkids that I played Rafa on Chatrier in the final. And they will probably say, ‘Wow, did you?’ I will say ‘Yes.’

I'm probably going to enjoy this moment for a long time.