Nadal’s incredible triumph: one last bitter punch line for Djokovic

The Australian Open starts without Novak Djokovic, but in the end the Serb is still a big loser in the first Grand Slam of the tennis year. The fact that the big rival Rafael Nadal wins is a heavy defeat for the world number one.

When Rafael Nadal converted his match point deep into the Australian night and made himself king of the Australian Open, there was disbelief. The champion covered his face with his hands and started to laugh. Then he cheered. His opponent Daniil Medvedev didn’t even burst out of disappointment about a lost game. The anger with which Medvedev fought his way through the fourth set was gone. Giving way to recognition. Medvedev unreservedly congratulated Nadal. Despite a bitter defeat. The Russian and the Spaniard gave the tennis world one of the most memorable matches in the long history of the sport. For more than five hours, both fought a final on an unbelievable physical level, banging back and forth ball after ball.

A battle of attrition for eternity that started as a duel between history and the future, carried out in the now. On the one hand the 35-year-old Nadal, on the other the 23-year-old Medvedev. 20 Grand Slam wins against one. When Medvedev, who will soon be number 1 in the tennis world, won the second set despite being 4-1 down, the past seemed defeated. But Nadal, the great fighter, who had recently fought mainly with his body, which had been perfected over the years, worked his way back ball by ball, blow by blow. And triumphed.

It’s a big story. A heroic story that is not often written in sport. Nadal won 2: 6, 6: 7, 6: 4, 6: 4, 7: 5 and won his 21st Grand Slam title. In doing so, he left Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic behind, both of whom have won one of the four major tournaments 20 times. The Spaniard has the edge in the race of the very best.

Everything got much, much worse

It’s unfair given the big game, but it’s also impossible not to: the story of the Australian Open final is also the story of Novak Djokovic. And history had a very bitter punchline ready for the world number one: Rafael Nadal of all people won the epic battle. On the stage that Djokovic actually saw reserved for himself, to which he strived unconditionally and against all bureaucratic and pandemic resistance.

So vehemently that he permanently damaged his great career, even if others were also to blame for the scandalous affair involving canceled visas, disputed test results and bilateral upheavals. Had Medvedev finished his two-set lead against an increasingly tired Nadal, the Russian would have immediately replaced Djokovic at the top of the world rankings. Now it takes a few days longer. Nadal’s big comeback made things much, much worse.

“Djokovic’s obsession is to win his 21st Grand Slam to overtake Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. His goal is not to beat Medvedev or Zverev,” tennis journalist and Djokovic biography Carole Bouchard insinuated last December. Djokovic is actually obsessed with numbers, with records. The Serb makes no secret of this. As one of two career goals, he had once officially stated that he would be number one in the world rankings for the most weeks. “If I achieve the former, which I hope to do in the coming year,” Djokovic said in 2020, “my focus will be even more on the Grand Slam tournaments in terms of approach, energy and schedule.”

But he himself “doesn’t feel like I’m obsessed with anything in life. What I feel is passion. I strive to achieve my goals and I’ve never had a problem verbalizing that,” Djokovic said in 2021 , He explained that it has never been difficult for him to be open about his goals and planned records: “I wanted to be number one and win slams. Of course these goals grow – if you fulfill one, another arises.”

“Sure Novak will watch”

From the beginning of 2021 he was at the top of the world rankings for more weeks than the previous record holder Roger Federer, he ended the year as number one in the tennis world for the seventh time – and thus conceded the record from Pete Sampras. “I believe what Novak has done over the past ten years, the major wins, being very consistent and finishing seven times the year as number 1. For me, that’s a clear sign that he’s the greatest of all time,” enthused the American tennis legend.

From then on, 21 was the number he was chasing. With the 21st Grand Slam title, he would have left his great rivals Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer behind and also made himself the greatest of all time in this statistic. With Nadal’s miraculous comeback, 21 has become 22. And Grand Slam titles are also hard work for Djokovic, even if the Serb is still almost untouchable in sport. He won 27 of 28 Grand Slam matches last year, only losing to Daniil Medvedev in the final of the US Open and missing out on 21 for the first time – and the also historic Grand Slam triumph.

“I’m sure Novak will watch,” Medvedev said with a smile after his semifinal win over Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas. He was probably right about that. And Djokovic certainly recognizes Nadal’s great achievement, perhaps the match even inspired the defending champion who was doomed to watch. “I respect Rafa, probably more than any other player in the world. He’s the biggest rival I’ve had in my life,” the Serb said to the Spaniard last year. Djokovic is complicated, but he’s also a great sportsman. Fair and respectful of the competition, even if he is insatiable in sports. In his first social media post since being kicked out of Australia, Djokovic wrote immediately after the final: “Congratulations to Rafael Nadal on his 21st Grand Slam. Amazing performance. Impressive fighting spirit again and again, winning once more!”

‘I know what Rafa is about’

“I’m happy that I have the chance to stop someone from writing history again,” Medvedev had added a declaration of war against Nadal – and restricted: “I know what’s happening. I know what Rafa is about. I knew what Novak was about. It’s kind of her business, not mine. I’m just here to try to win the final.” He didn’t succeed and that’s why Djokovic has to chase the 22 from now on. “I think Novak just wants to break the record of 20 Grand Slam tournaments. I think that’s the only obsession he has,” said former Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli in December. After his defeat at the ATP Finals against Alexander Zverev, she “didn’t see him very angry, he wasn’t massively depressed.”

Nadal won in Melbourne for the second time after 2009.

(Photo: imago images/AAP)

At least this season, the Serbs, who are probably still unvaccinated, are threatened with running out of opportunities to further improve their impressive statistics: both the French Open and Wimbledon recently announced that professionals without vaccination protection are undesirable. France is considering reducing the convalescent status from six to four months. It would then no longer be enough for Djokovic. In New York, where the US Open takes place, there are strict rules for athletes, and unvaccinated professionals are currently not allowed to pursue their profession in the city.

“I had to suffer, I had to fight”

Djokovic’s advantage: He is the youngest of the big three who have won an incredible 61 out of a possible 72 Grand Slam titles since Federer’s Wimbledon triumph in 2003. After numerous knee operations and a break of almost two years, it is more than questionable whether Federer, who will be 41 in August, will return to the tour, especially at a competitive level. Although Nadal is only eleven months older than Djokovic, he has also been struggling with injuries for a long time, he missed Wimbledon, the French Open and the US Open in 2021 due to foot problems.

“I had to suffer, I had to fight. It means a lot to me to be in the final here,” said Nadal, who was also thrown back by a corona infection in preparation, after his semi-final victory against Matteo Berrettini, ten years his junior said. And with a view to his first and only victory at the Australian Open 13 years ago: “I never expected another chance in 2022.”

After his quarter-final triumph over Canadian Denis Shapovalov, Nadal was asked what 21 would mean to him. “I’m not hoping for anything anymore. I just want to keep playing because that gives me the most joy,” replied the new sole Grand Slam record holder. “I don’t think my happiness depends on winning more Grand Slam tournaments than others or others more than me.” Nadal will compete in the French Open in May, which he has won 13 times. It is possible that Djokovic will have to watch again.

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