Despite adding a Grand Slam to his titles, Australian Open 2022 champion Rafael Nadal says he is not frustrated or obsessed with how many of these wins he bags.
Nevertheless, the Spaniard says he wouldn’t mind retiring with the more Grand Slam title – besides the 21 he has hitherto.
Nadal’s victory over Daniil Medvedev in the Australian Open final in Melbourne helped him surpass Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic Grand Slams.
Federer and Nadal each have 20 majors. However, they both missed the Australian Open due to injury and COVID-19 vaccination complications.
Rafael Nadal . Photo/Eurosport
Even before Nadal’s victory, tennis fans were debating who would end up with the most Grand Slam titles.
During a press conference at the Rafa Nadal Academy following his most recent triumph, Nadal shared his opinion on this subject.
“Do I want to be the one with the most Grand Slams? Yes, I do. Am I obsessed or frustrated by the idea of not being the one? Zero. I don’t think 21 will be enough to end being the one with the most Grand Slams,” he said.
He said playing Medvedev in the finals was hard enough because he was all nervous because it was a while before he played at this stage.
Nadal confessed he was unable to train properly three months prior to the Australian Open and this made him nervous.
But, it is an unforgettable experience.
The Australian Open was his second competitive event in five months, after winning a warm-up competition at Melbourne Park earlier in January despite these setbacks.
Nadal beat Medvedev in five hours and 24 minutes after the Russian couldn’t return a net volley on the first of the Spaniard’s three match points at 01:11 local time in Melbourne.
Nadal’s excitement was evident in the ferocity of his victory celebration, which he had overcome both on the night of the match and in the months leading up to it.
Nadal has only won three matches from two sets down in his career, the most recent of which was against Mikhail Youzhny at Wimbledon in 2007.
At the end of what was the second-longest Grand Slam final in the tournament’s history, Rafael Nadal beat Novak Djokovic 6-4, 6-4.
A chair was brought out for Nadal so he could sit down rather than stand as the trophy
Medvedev had a two-set lead and appeared to be on his way to repeat success at Melbourne Park after his triumph in New York.
When Nadal’s backhand groundstrokes were lacking fluency, Medvedev took five games in a row to clinch the opening set, Nadal throwing another backhand into the net, the Spanish left-16th hander’s unforced error in comparison to only five for his Russian opponent.
The 35-year-old Spaniard has been at the centre of some of the most stunning triumphs in tennis history.
Rafael Nadal Australian Open. Photo/Marca
When Nadal suffered a foot injury in late 2016, it appeared as though he may never return to the tour.
Just recently, Nadal confessed that he pondered about quitting tennis after suffering from injuries last year.
He says he had discussions on this with members of his staff and family during the worst days of his six-month injury hiatus in 2021.
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