Rafael Nadal wins 21st major title in Australian Open thriller over Daniil Medvedev
Nadal came back to win the match after being down two sets to Medvedev
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Rafael Nadal is alone on the mountaintop.
Nadal defeated Daniil Medvedev in five sets to win the Australian Open Sunday and pick up his 21st major tennis title. Nadal won the match 2-6, 6-7 (7-5), 6-4, 6-4, 7-5.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts during his men's singles final match against Daniil Medvedev of Russia at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, early Monday, Jan. 31, 2022. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair)
It's Nadal’s second Australian Open title and his first since 2009.
The match between the two was a marathon. The 35-year-old Nadal, who had been battling foot issues in 2021, needed 5 hours and 24 minutes to win the match. He was broken at 5-4 in the fifth set but didn’t make any mistakes after that. The match was also delayed in the second set when a protester invaded the court.
Adding to his history-making win, Nadal became the fourth man in tennis history to win all four of the sport’s major titles at least twice. It was his first major title win since 2020, when he won the French Open. He has 90 career titles to his name.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Daniil Medvedev of Russia plays a backhand in his men's singles final match against Rafael Nadal of Spain during day 14 of the 2022 Australian Open at Melbourne Park Jan. 30, 2022, in Melbourne, Australia. (Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
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Nadal entered the tournament tied at the top with Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer for most men’s major titles. Djokovic was the favorite entering the tournament, but his saga dealing with Australian officials and the country’s rules against unvaccinated travelers overshadowed the start of the tournament.
Djokovic was eventually removed from the country after a second hearing over his medical exemption from getting the coronavirus vaccine. He was deported and will unlikely be able to compete in Australia for quite some time.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Spain's Rafael Nadal reacts after winning against Russia's Daniil Medvedev during their men's singles final match on day 14 of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne early Jan. 31, 2022. (William West/AFP)
Federer has been injured over the last year. He didn’t compete in the Australian Open.
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Next up is the French Open, which is scheduled to start May 22. Djokovic may be able to play in that tournament, but Nadal has dominated on clay throughout his career.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Associated Press contributed to this report.