Back in pictures on the most beautiful victories of the Matador, Rafael Nadal.
Rafael Nadal won his 21st Grand Slam title in Melbourne on Sunday against Russian Daniil Medvedev. A new record for major titles that puts him ahead of his great rivals Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.
The Matador, king of clay, has won 13 of his 21 Grand Slam titles at Roland-Garros, but he has fought epic battles on all surfaces. Here are some examples:
Wimbledon 2008: final won against Federer
Victory at dusk. The rivalry between the two men is already well established and the Spaniard almost brought down the Swiss in his kingdom the previous year. This time, after 4:48 of a game interrupted several times by rain and as night fell, Nadal won the match point at 9:16 p.m. with the score of 6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 6-7 , 9-7, ending Federer’s run of five Wimbledon titles in a row. This meeting is the most famous in the history of tennis with the Borg-McEnroe of 1980, at the same place.
Australian Open 2009: final won against Federer
Tireless. Nadal wins his first title in Melbourne by beating Federer 7-5, 3-6, 7-6(3), 3-6, 6-2 and almost 4:30 of very high level tennis. In the semis, he had already fought 5:14 to dismiss Fernando Verdasco. Defeated, Federer could not hold back his tears during the trophy ceremony.
US Open 2010: final won against Djokovic
The Missing Major. In 2010, the US Open was the last missing from Nadal’s list. Despite the confidence built up thanks to his victory against Roger Federer in the semis, the Serb could not stop the Spaniard. Nadal won 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2.
US Open 2019: final won against Medvedev
Never defeated. After two sets quietly won, Nadal was surprised by the return of a still unknown young Russian with a strange game. Pushed into the fifth set, the Spaniard proves that he never gives up and wins in 4:51 of an epic fight 7-5, 6-3, 5-7, 4-6, 6-4.
His prize list by year
Australian Open: 2 titles (2009, 2022)
Roland-Garros: 13 titles (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020)
Wimbledon: 2 titles (2008, 2010)
US Open: 4 titles (2010, 2013, 2017, 2019)
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