Nadal Wins 21st Grand Slam Title at Australian Open

It took five hours and 24 minutes, but Rafael Nadal managed to pull off one of the more remarkable comebacks of his career to win the 2022 Australian Open in Melbourne on Sunday.The Spaniard defeated Daniil Medvedev of Russia, 2-6, 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-4, 7-5, in a match he trailed by two sets.

“This has been one of the most emotional nights of my tennis career,” Nadal said after the match. “If we put everything together, the scenario, the momentum, what it means. Yeah, without a doubt probably have been the biggest comeback of my tennis career.”

With the win, Nadal, 35, won his 21st Grand Slam title and broke a three-way tie with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic to become the most decorated male singles champion of all time. 

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After failing to defend his title at the 2021 French Open, Nadal spent the second half of the year nursing a chronic foot injury and found himself physically unable to compete. It got so bad, that he mulled retirement on more than one occasion.

“For a long time I wasn’t able to practice,” Nadal said after his semifinal victory over Matteo Berrettini. “Sometimes I went on court and I was able to practice 20 minutes, sometimes 45, sometimes zero, sometimes two hours, but it has been very, very rough in terms of imagine myself playing at the best-of-five at this moment.”

Australian officials no doubt had to be glad that the product on the tennis court was the point of focus rather than Djokovic’s vaccination status.

Djokovic, the 2021 champion, was deported for not being vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the New York Times. The nine-time champion had been granted an exemption to play unvaccinated by the Australian Tennis Federation, but his visa was cancelled and his appeal rejected by the Australian government.

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“Australians have made many sacrifices during this pandemic,” Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said in a statement. “And they rightly expect the result of those sacrifices to be protected.”

Nadal, for his part, reflected on the last few months and rejoiced at how far he’s come.

“I was not ready physically for these kind of battles, honestly,” he said. “I am super, super tired in all ways. I even can’t celebrate. But it was the day to give everything, no? I enjoyed it. I enjoyed the fight. I enjoyed the emotions. At the end to have this trophy with me means everything.”