Melbourne – Now Rafael Nadal really is just one victory away from a 21st title and Grand Slam record: after months full of pain and doubts as well as talk of ending his tennis career, the Spaniard is reaching for the triumph at the Australian Open.
On Sunday (9.30am German time/Eurosport), the 35-year-old can become the sole number one in the extremely prestigious statistic with a final win over Russian US Open champion Daniil Medvedev. He would move clear of long-time rivals Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.
Djokovic, Nadal and Federer level on
“I think Novak will watch this match in two days too,” Medvedev said with a grin in Friday’s winner’s interview. And if Nadal then triumphs, for Djokovic, who was initially much more highly rated, his defeat in the federal court and forced departure from Australia before the tournament began would become even more bitter.
“I had to suffer, I had to fight. It means a lot to me to be back here in the final,” Nadal said happily after beating Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 in the Melbourne semi-finals. It’s been 13 years since his only Melbourne success: “I would never have thought of another chance in 2022.”
Even with the question marks behind his participation in the Australian Open, Nadal shrugged his shoulders when asked about the tennis milestone. He doesn’t take the statistics too seriously, as he credibly assured. “I’m just happy to be part of this amazing tennis era. That’s all,” he said, “Somehow it doesn’t matter if one reaches one more or one less. We’ve all accomplished amazing things.”
In what has long been a fascinating race for Grand Slam titles, the big three are currently level: Nadal has collected 20 trophies at the four major tournaments, as has Federer of Switzerland, who is on break because of his long-term knee problems, and Djokovic, the Serbian world number one.
Good prospects for triumph
Nadal’s prospects are bright, provided there is enough fitness for another match. However, he will have to beat the strong world number two Medvedev to do so. Medvedev won the emotional semi-final against the Greek world number four Stefanos Tsitsipas 7:6 (7:5), 4:6, 6:4, 6:1.
In the meantime, the finalist from last year scolded referee Jaume Campistol vehemently. He demanded a warning for unauthorised coaching because Tsitsipas’ father was constantly talking in the stands. “You’re so bad, man,” the 25-year-old complained loudly at 4:5 in the second set, calling the umpire a “little cat”. When he had long calmed down from the heated battle, he regretted his outburst. He respected the referees, the Russian professional affirmed.
On the court, too, Medvedev had caught himself after a break between sets and secured his fourth Grand Slam final. Unforgotten in the tennis scene is the 2019 US Open final, which Nadal won in five sets. “I am ready,” Medvedev now announced. He had only denied Djokovic his 21st title at the last US Open in September. “The rivalry between them is great. Again and again we hear it’s over, not sure if they will come back. Well, look at Rafa,” Medvedev said.
Nadal: “It’s a gift to play tennis “
Nadal’s statistics are impressive: the veteran reached his 29th final in the most important category. On Sunday, Nadal can become the fourth men’s player to have won each of the four Grand Slam tournaments at least twice. In Melbourne, Nadal stunned himself. “A month and a half ago, I didn’t know if I would make it back to the tour,” he said, “Here I am, and I’m grateful for it. That’s all. It’s a gift just to be here and playing tennis. I take things a little differently now. At the end of the day, I’ll be honest, it’s more important for me to have the chance to play tennis again than to win the 21st.”
The left-hander had skipped Wimbledon last year, foregone the Olympics and the US Open, not played a tournament at all since August. Sometimes he had only been able to play tennis for 20 minutes, sometimes 45 – and sometimes not at all. Thoughts of a Grand Slam match were far away. “I had many challenging moments – many days of hard work without seeing a light.” He said he had talked to the team and his family about whether it was time to say goodbye if things remained this bad.
Against Italian world number seven Berrettini, Nadal played terrific for two sets. In the third set he became more tired. But before things got too complicated, Nadal grabbed hold. The decider came in the eighth game of the fourth set when Berrettini’s forehand errors ultimately favoured the break for Nadal’s 500th hard court win.