As the Australian Open men's final presentation petered along, Rafael Nadal needed a chair to rest his limbs. After all, the gladiator from Spain has extracted every last ounce of energy from his weary body. Not just today, but at every moment during a two-decade career that began quietly in 2001. Since his epochal journey took rarefied orbit during a memorable Parisienne summer day in 2005, Nadal has travelled the world showcasing his remarkable tennis skills, relentlessly collecting silver.
But as he did again on Sunday in Melbourne, Nadal’s identity as an athlete is inseparably bound in his resilience. He bled again from that same tome in a classic final against Daniil Medvedev, that stretched 24 minutes over five hours.
Nadal, as he has, so many times in his storied career stretched his opponent to the edge of faltering imagination. He extracted an unlikely yet unsurprising come-from-behind victory for a 21st major title. The Spaniard scaled a new peak, where he stands tall and alone, one ahead of his arch rivals Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.
It was an achievement of mythical proportions both in the moment as well as on the rich canvas of his glittering career.
On the night, Nadal was bruised and bleeding. Daniil Medvedev brought the weight of his groundstrokes, particularly off the backhand to pummel his rival into near submission. He broke the Spaniard twice to race away with the first set, 6-2. Nadal snatched a comfortable lead in the second set, but Medvedev showed some steel to force a tie-breaker. Even though Nadal was two points away from getting even, the Russian won four points on the run to snatch the set, 7-6(5).
The prediction system run by Infosys barely afforded the Spaniard less than five percent chance of victory. Nadal though, isn’t just an algorithm. He is a master of the moment. He lives by the point. And in his book, nothing is done till the last shot has been struck, until the last point has been won.
The Spaniard was making some uncharacteristic errors. He was slicing his backhand far more than his norm. And he barely seemed to find the time needed to run around to bring the forehand into play. Nadal looked like he was down and out.
Turned out, he was just down. Despite trailing 2-3, 0-40, Nadal never gave up. One point at a time, he started to stitch the answers needed to solve the Medvedev puzzle. The Russian was a juggernaut, controlling the run of play, running the stakes from his steady perch along the baseline.
Having suffered for it, Nadal decided to switch tactics. The wily southpaw from Mallorca deployed some feathery drop shots to draw Medvedev forward. The move unsettled the Russian, forcing him to answer questions in the forecourt. The nervy world No.2 found himself wanting, opening the door for Nadal to work his way back into the contest. Deft touches and sharp angles did the trick, and a nervous Medvedev plunged headlong into the tactical trap.
Nadal dictated play from there and despite some stubborn tennis from the world No.2, the big match experience and the never say die spirit of the Spaniard proved to be an insurmountable challenge to an increasingly weary Russian. Even though Medvedev showed some determination in the end, all he could do was claw even with a last gasp break at 4-5 in the fifth. But Nadal broke again in the next game and held to love, securing an epic 2-6, 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 victory to add another storied chapter to an already golden legacy in tennis.
"One month and a half ago, I thought maybe there is a chance that it was going to be my last Australian Open but now that's given me plenty of energy to keep going. I'm going to keep trying my best to keep coming back next year," said an elated Nadal in the post-match presentation.
At the outer edge of a gilded era for tennis, Nadal added another layer of greatness to his legendary journey. The victory in Melbourne marked not only a record 21st grand slam championship, but also the longest duration between two major titles, nearly 17 years after his first at the French Open in 2005.
Nadal joins an elite club of tennis players that won at least two titles at each of the four majors. The Nadal collection of 21 majors include - 2 Australian Open, 13 French Open, 2 Wimbledon, and 4 US Open titles. Djokovic’s 20 are made up of 9-2-6-3, Roy Emerson 6-2-2-2 and Rod Laver 3-2-4-2. Federer has multiple titles in all the majors, except Roland Garros, where he won just once in 2009.
“A final of Herculean proportions, thank you for a brilliant contest @RafaelNadal and @DaniilMedwed,” exclaimed Rod Laver, the two-time calendar Grand Slam winner. The Aussie legend knows a thing or two about winning at least twice at each of the four majors in tennis. Laver was seen capturing the final moments on his mobile as Rod Laver Arena erupted in joy at the stunning accomplishment of Nadal.
“Two AO crowns and 21 majors, given everything you have endured, this historic victory is so special Rafa. It has been a privilege to watch you doing what you love. Congratulations.”
Only Nadal, Pete Sampras and Ken Rosewall have the unique distinction of winning grand slam titles across three decades of their life – as teenagers, in their twenties and then in the thirties. He is also now the third oldest man to win a major title behind Rosewall and Federer.
Nadal has won four matches in his career, after being two sets down. Incredibly, this was Nadal’s first victory in that situation, since his victory over Mikhail Youzhny at Wimbledon in 2007. Victory over Medvedev was his fourth five set victory in a grand slam final against three losses.
The Spaniard has thrown the gauntlet down at Djokovic and Federer. As the three great men chase the sunset, it will be intriguing to see how much longer they could sustain their insane race for tennis excellence. The young brigade may finally be ready to claim the sunshine, if the current rankings are any indication of the future.
Age is also a factor. Federer has been out of action since 2020. After three operations to his right knee, it is increasingly uncertain if the Swiss can compete against the best in the business when he finally makes a return to competition. He is going to be 41 this August.
34-year-old Djokovic has brought the sport and himself disrepute with his continued obstinacy towards vaccination during a global pandemic. It is unclear if the French Open and Wimbledon might allow him to play if he continues to remain unvaccinated.
Nadal is 35 and has a long history of injuries. The scars on his body stretch from shoulder to toe. Every episode of his tennis from here will be a gift to that many that celebrate his unrelenting approach to tennis.
The ATP Tour defines ‘Big Titles’ as the grand slams, the ATP Finals, the ATP Masters 1000 and the Olympics. Djokovic leads the count, having amassed 62 Big Titles, including a record 37 Masters titles. Nadal(58) has 36 Masters titles and is the only man among the big three to have an Olympic Gold Medal. Federer(54) owns a record six ATP Finals.
Each man has a chequered place in the history of the sport. Since his grand slam debut at the 2003 Wimbledon, as an awkward 17-year-old with long pants, Nadal has set himself apart as the most resilient fighter the sport may have ever seen. In the full view of a prayerful Melbourne crowd, Nadal embellished that legacy with another remarkable Houdini act against a potent rival, a full ten years younger than him.
Never bet against the Spaniard. Not even when the finest algorithm might suggest an imminent loss. With Nadal on the mat, the match isn’t over till he says so. And today in Melbourne, the Mallorcan suggested that he may have some more stories to write before walking away into an unparalleled realm of greatness.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)