Australian Open: Nadal wins his 21st major title

Hardly any other sport keeps its statistics and record books as meticulous as tennis. There is hardly an aspect of the game that is not broken down into numbers. It is no longer normal that tennis also wants to underpin the question of the best in history with numbers.

For years, Roger Federer seemed on course to become the Primus Inter Pares. But now, at the end of two turbulent weeks in Australia, Rafael Nadal comes out on top. The 35-year-old Spaniard won his 21st Grand Slam title in Melbourne, only the second Down Under.

The previously only tournament victory in 2009 in the final against Federer is now 13 years ago. And that alone is, in principle, an extraordinary record. Not even Nadal himself would have expected in 2009 that he would be back in the Rod Laver Arena more than a decade later with the trophy in his hands. He was injured too often, his body seemed too fragile.

At the award ceremony after the final against Daniil Medvedev, Nadal repeated what he had said several times in Melbourne over the past 14 days: “A month and a half ago I didn’t know if I would be able to play tennis at this level again.”

Nadal’s body kept forcing him to take breaks. But no injury endangered his career like his last. For six months he struggled with the foot problems that can be traced back to a congenital disease and have been with him for years. But this time he seemed closer to the end of his career than ever before. While still on the pitch, he said on Sunday that two weeks ago he started the tournament with the conviction that he would be playing here for the last time. “But now I will do everything I can to come back in twelve months.”

Exceptional fighter

Nadal is an exceptional fighter, perhaps the most exceptional on the men’s tour. Again and again he had to put up with setbacks, and every time he came back. Sunday’s final was a kind of analogy of his career. He had no chance in the first set and lost it 2:6. In the second he came into play better, but gave it up at the score of 5:4 despite two break margins and a set point.

With this seemingly insurmountable mortgage in mind, Nadal worked himself into a frenzy. The Australian crowd came to his aid, giving him almost unfair support and repeatedly disrupting his opponent Daniil Medvedev’s service. Temporarily losing his cool, the 25-year-old Russian took on spectators, repeatedly urging the chair umpire to silence them. “You’re just stupid, stupid, stupid.”

Nadal gratefully accepted the support. He didn’t lose concentration there either when he was able to serve for the first time in the fifth set at a score of 5:4 and promptly handed in his service. He immediately took the serve from Medvedev and did better on the second opportunity. When he served for the second time to win, he didn’t give up a point and ended the match after 5 hours and 24 minutes with a 2:6, 6:7, 6:4, 6:4, 7:5.

The outcome affects the men’s tour. In the event of a win, Daniil Medvedev could have replaced Novak Djokovic on February 14 at the top of the world rankings. Now, despite being eliminated from the tournament, the Serb’s lead still stands at 890 points. He remains No. 1 even if the Russian wins his next scheduled tournament in a week’s time in Rotterdam.

Djokovic plans to return to the tour a week later in Dubai. But the affair about his failed attempt to enter Australia as an unvaccinated person is obviously not over for him. According to the Serbian media, investigations are now underway in his homeland because of inconsistencies in the positive PCR test that gave him the special permit. At the same time, it is still unclear whether he can travel to Roland-Garros for the next Grand Slam tournament without a corona vaccination.

After the triumph in Melbourne, Nadal will be the top favorite there anyway. In 2005 he won the first of his 21 major titles on the clay courts of Paris. Twelve more followed there to date.

Nadal and Djokovic will duel over the coming months and possibly years to see who will go down in history as the most successful tennis player of this unusual generation. Sooner or later, what the statistics of direct encounters have long suggested and John McEnroe recently suggested will come true: Federer should only remain number 3.

Congratulations from Federer

The Basel bidder should accept this with the composure of a man who has nothing to prove to himself or anyone else. He was among the first to congratulate. He posted a picture of the Spaniard on Instagram and wrote: “To my friend and great rival Rafael Nadal: Congratulations on being the first man to win 21 Grand Slam titles. Just a few months ago we were joking together about both walking on crutches. Never underestimate a great champion.”

In addition to being a serious tribute, this was possibly also a warning to all those who wrote it off themselves. Federer was last in a major final two years ago in Melbourne. Since then he has had three meniscus surgeries. But despite turning 41 in early August, he’s still struggling to make a comeback. If everything goes according to plan, he wants to start training on the pitch again in February.

Rafael Nadal is an example worth following not only for him but for all other players on the tour. Especially in Melbourne, Nadal has repeatedly suffered setbacks. After his first win, he was in the final four more times and always lost there. Now he has definitely reconciled with the Australian Open.