Rafael Nadal broke new ground at the very top of the men’s game to come from two sets to love down to defeat Daniil Medvedev in the final of the Australian Open and to stand alone at the top of the list of all-time Grand Slam singles champions.
By securing victory in front of a raucous crowd at the Rod Laver Arena at Melbourne Park, Nadal sealed his 21st Grand Slam title – to see him edge one ahead of old foes Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic on the all-time list.
Nadal’s performance epitomized every single element of grit and determination he is known for.
He refused to wilt in the toughest of moments and ultimately reigned supreme in one of the most memorable Grand Slam singles finals of recent times.
Trailing 6-2, 7-6, Nadal looked to be seeing his hopes of a first Australian Open title since 2009 slip away.
However, he dug deep, taking the third set 6-4 after saving countless break points, and from that moment on, the momentum was with the 35-year-old.
The notoriously vocal Australian crowd was now in full voice and cheering every Nadal point, as he edged through again to take the fourth set 6-4 before finally clinching the title, taking a topsy-turvy final set by 7 games to 5.
How many more Grand Slams can Nadal win?
For Nadal, Djokovic and Federer to have won 61 Grand Slam titles over the past 20 years is merely testament to the incredible dominance that all three men have enjoyed.
All three men are at different stages in their careers, but they will feel that they have more Grand Slam titles in the tank.
With all of the pre-amble coming into the 2022 Australian Open surrounding Djokovic’s deportation from Australia, Nadal managed to slip under the radar somewhat at Melbourne Park.
The absence of Federer also aided the Spaniard’s cause, but he wasn’t seen by too many as a real threat to win the tournament – at an event that he has failed to lift the trophy at for 13 years.
However, he quickly found momentum in the early rounds, and with some big names in the draw falling, his run to the final opened up somewhat.
He defeated Denis Shapovalov in the last eight before seeing off Matteo Berrettini in the semi-finals.
Such was the relative ease with which Nadal made the final that questions are now being asked as to how many more Grand Slams he can win.
The Djokovic saga has the feeling of a never-ending one, with both the French Open and US Open currently requiring players to be vaccinated to take part, which could see the Serb missing out on two more of the biggest events on the calendar.
Add into the mix Nadal’s incredible record at Roland-Garros (13 career title wins), and he looks to be the hot favorite to stretch his lead in the all-time Grand Slam singles win standings.
