MELBOURNE: Spain’s Rafael Nadal produced the most astonishing comeback of his glittering career, beating the world No 2 Daniil Medvedev from two sets down to win a record 21st grand-slam men’s singles title at the Australian Open.
The Spanish great looked dead and buried as the Russian world number two carved out a two-set lead but Nadal surged home for one of his mightiest comeback wins 2-6, 6-7 (5/7), 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 in 5hr 24min on Rod Laver Arena.
Forever a fighter ????????#AusOpen • #AO2022 • @RafaelNadal pic.twitter.com/FodVjk0fME
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 30, 2022
The final went down to the bitter end with Nadal being broken as he served for the championship only for the Spaniard to break back. On his second attempt to serve it out, Nadal powered to three match points to win amid chaotic scenes in his player’s box and the frenzied crowd.
It is the fourth time in his storied career that Nadal had clawed back to win from two sets down and the second time Nadal had denied Medvedev in a Grand Slam final, winning a five-set epic at the 2019 US Open.
With his dramatic victory, Nadal has claimed sole ownership of the record for the most men’s singles Grand Slam titles, moving past Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic who are both on 20 major crowns.
Djokovic missed his chance to improve on his nine Australian Open wins when he was deported over vaccination issues on the eve of the tournament, while Federer is injured.
The 35-year-old Spanish star, who also clinched the trophy in Melbourne in 2009, has become just the second player in the Open Era alongside Djokovic to win each of the four majors at least twice.
“It was one of the most emotional matches of my career,” Nadal said during the trophy ceremony. “To share the court with Daniil was just an honour. To be honest, one and a half months ago I wasn’t sure if was able to be back on the Tour playing tennis again. But today I am here in front of all of you with this trophy in front of me,” he added.
Nadal now leads Medvedev 4-1 in their ATP Head2Head series, with this their second meeting in a Grand Slam final. At the US Open in 2019, Medvedev rallied from two-sets-to-love down before Nadal prevailed in the decider in a Flushing Meadows epic.
“Having the huge support I received over the past three weeks is going to stay in my heart for the rest of my life, so thank you very much,” Nadal added.
Medvedev, who also reached the final in Melbourne last year, was trying to become the first male player in the Open Era to follow his maiden major trophy with his second at the next Grand Slam event, after triumphing at the US Open in September.
The World No. 2 defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semi-finals to advance to his fourth major final, equalling countryman Marat Safin’s all-time record for most appearances by a Russian man in a Slam championship match.
