Australian Open Reaches Epic Conclusion as Nadal Takes Victory
The Australian Open reached its epic conclusion on Sunday night in Melbourne as Nadal fought back to win from 2 sets down and become the record holder for most Grand Slam men’s titles wins in history with his 21st. This fightback will go down as one for the ages, and the crowd in Melbourne was served a real treat as the Spaniard exemplified the tennis that has made him such a formidable force on the men’s elite circuit for over a decade.
The crowds on court at Melbourne got behind the champion Rafael Nadal as he overturned an amazing deficit to defeat Medvedev 3-2 in the final of the Australian Open. ©Pexels/Pixabay
Leading the congratulations on social media was Roger Federer, a great testament to the comradery that exists within the sport and how two great rivals have a deeply rooted mutual respect through thick-and-thin. With the plaudits coming from all over the world, Rafael Nadal has now been recognized as the most decorated tennis player in the men’s singles category of all time, a stunning achievement that his rivals Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic could still potentially do something about.
But then there must be a word for Nadal’s opponent in this epic fight for the ages. The 25-year-old Russian seemed to be destroying his opponent in the early stages and was well and truly in command of the match until the end of the second set. But like the great competitor that Nadal has proven himself to be over the years at the top of the sport, he showed his grit and determination to claw back into a level position, before dispatching his opponent in the final deciding set.
The victory will surely go down as one of the very best in the career of Nadal, and certainly speaks to the quality of this victory given how heavily decorated this champion player is. The win will feel even more special for Nadal following long spite with injury on his foot. It looked like he may never step foot on the court again at one moment not so long ago, only for that to be completely changed and moving in the right direction again now.
Emotional Nadal Defies the Odds to Win in Melbourne
The chronic pain Nadal experienced in his left foot in the first half of 2021 seemed to be the end of the great player. Not only was he sidelined from the court, but it looked at one point that the tennis star would never return to the court. The situation was exacerbated by a second spout with Covid, forcing Nadal to retire from training camp with prolonged fever and difficulty with conducting any cardio-vascular exercise.
With a compounding series of setbacks benching the player for several months, it was even more impressive the nature of his comeback at the Australian Open. It was a grueling match as well that forced the Spaniard hard-court veteran to play some of the greatest tennis of his career. After Medvedev failed to return a volley at the net on match-point, Nadal was overcome by emotion and stood in the center of the court with his mouth wide-open then falling to his knees punching the air.
This comeback will live on in the memory of tennis fans across the globe. The ebb-and-flow of the final was something that we haven’t seen played out at such high-stakes in years. Herculean comebacks like this don’t happen often, and when they happen in the final of a Grand Slam that gives the victor the crown for the most decorated player of all time, it’s no surprise that the world stops to applaud.
Crowds in the arena began to throw their support behind the Spaniard. Following an unforced error at the net by Medvedev in a pivotal moment of the third set, the crowd began a raucous cheer which led to a sarcastic clap of the racquet. The frustration of letting this match slip through his fingers only began to grow on Medvedev’s face as Nadal consolidated a position to launch his fightback from. In games like this, it’s clear that tennis is a game of momentum, and the players both had periods throughout the match where they looked in complete control of the other one.
Tennis Australia will be glad that Nadal was able to fight through his injury and come back to grace the court, delivering one of the best Australian Open tournaments in recent memory.
