Melbourne: Former world number one Rafael Nadal made a strong comeback after going down two sets to clinch the Australian Open tennis tournament title and win 21 men’s singles Grand Slam titles, defeating Daniil Medvedev here on Sunday. He became the first player in the world. Spain’s 35-year-old Nadal also holds the record for most Grand Slam titles in men’s singles with 21. The final between Nadal and Medvedev ended in the early hours (Australian time) on Monday.
Sixth seed Nadal lost the first two sets to beat second seed Medvedev of Russia 2-6, 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 in a match that lasted five hours and 24 minutes. In the fifth and deciding set, when Nadal was serving at 5-4 to win the championship, Medvedev broke his serve. However, he made no such mistake on his next serve. It is the second longest-running final of the Australian Open. Earlier in 2012, Novak Djokovic of Serbia defeated Nadal in five sets in five hours and 53 minutes.
Nadal now holds one more Grand Slam title than Roger Federer and Djokovic. Before the Australian Open, all three had the same record of 20 Grand Slam titles. During the final, play came to a halt in the second set when a protester came onto the court. Nadal also became only the fourth male player in tennis history to win all four Grand Slam titles at least twice.
Nadal won his first Australian Open title in 2009 but lost four finals at Melbourne Park. On Sunday, the Spaniard defeated US Open champion Medvedev to win his second Australian Open title. Nadal registered his 21st victory in 29 major finals. Federer and Djokovic have played in the same 31 Grand Slam finals and won the same 20 titles. This victory of Nadal is also spectacular because he reached Australia in the second half of 2021 after playing just two matches. The Spaniard missed most of the second half of 2021 due to a chronic leg injury. His injury can be treated but it will not heal completely. He was also infected with Covid-19.
Medvedev was challenged to become the first male player in the Open era to win the next Grand Slam title after winning his first Grand Slam title. Medvedev has now become only the second player after Andy Murray loses his next Grand Slam final after winning his first Grand Slam title. This is only the fourth time Nadal has come back from two sets to win a best-of-five-set match. He last achieved this feat in the fourth round of Wimbledon in 2007 against Mikhail Youzhny.
The 35-year-old Nadal last won the Australian Open in 2009. He has become only the second player in the Open Era after Djokovic to have won all Grand Slams at least twice.
Nadal leads 4-1 in a clash over Medvedev in the ATPA. This was the second Grand Slam final between the two. Earlier in 2019, both the players clashed in the final of the UAS Open. There Medvedev made a comeback after trailing two sets. And won two sets in a row. However, in the last set, Nadal won the title after winning.
