Two years in the past, Rafael Nadal stood within the centre of Rod Laver Area, palms over his mouth in disbelief.
In that second, he stood alone.
He had simply battled again from a two-set deficit in opposition to Daniil Medvedev, combating for somewhat over 5 hours to elevate the Australian Open title and safe a then-men’s report twenty first Grand Slam title.
It’s a little completely different this yr.
The 37-year-old had arrived in Australia on the primary leg of his farewell tour, having stated 2024 will seemingly be his final, however the tape that has lengthy held up the physique has unravelled somewhat additional. A hip damage sustained on the Brisbane Worldwide has dominated him out of this yr’s match.
Nadal should still return to Melbourne – and if there’s one factor his profession has taught us, it’s to by no means rule him out – however he can also have stated goodbye to town that was house to certainly one of his “most emotional” moments.
Two gruelling five-set title wins
It won’t be stunning that, given his dominance on the French Open clay, solely two of Nadal’s 22 Slam titles got here on the Melbourne exhausting courts.
There was, nonetheless, a 13-year hole – and 4 last losses – between the 2 titles in 2009 and 2022. His 2009 victory was one other chapter in his lengthy rivalry with Roger Federer, whereas 2022 noticed him maintain off one other upstart in US Open champion Medvedev.
Each matches went to five sets. Each went past the four-hour mark. Each noticed an epic show of defence from Nadal, saving 13 of 19 break factors in opposition to Federer and 16 of twenty-two in opposition to Medvedev.
They had been victories that, in some ways, had been basic Nadal – palms taped up, headband in place, keen each inch of his physique on to victory.
However in between the triumphs had been a sequence of misses. Nadal reached six finals in Melbourne, profitable two of them, and fell on the quarter-final stage seven occasions.
He has a 77-16 win-loss report on the Slam and an general win proportion of 83% – the identical as at Wimbledon, the place he has performed 23 fewer matches.
Nadal has been unfortunate with accidents all through his profession, which has been a consider Australian Open crunch matches, in addition to his opponents enjoying lights out tennis in opposition to him.
Close to misses
- 2010 – quarter-finals: Nadal, the defending champion, faces Andy Murray within the final eight. Murray wins a 50-minute first set and fights again from 4-2 down within the second earlier than Nadal is compelled to obtain therapy on his proper knee. Visibly hampered, Nadal retires at 3-0 down within the third.
- 2011 – quarter-finals: Arrives on the match with the possibility to turn out to be the primary man since Rod Laver in 1969 to carry all 4 Grand Slam titles. The highest seed, Nadal enjoys serene progress earlier than damage as soon as once more strikes. Together with his left thigh closely strapped and his motion inhibited, he loses in straight units to shut good friend David Ferrer.
- 2012 – last: Reaches his first last in Melbourne since 2009, the place Novak Djokovic awaits. The 2 battle it out within the longest main singles last in Open period historical past, an epic lasting 5 hours and 53 minutes, with Djokovic rising on high. The 2 had been so exhausted that they got chairs to sit down on throughout the trophy presentation. It stays the one time Nadal has misplaced a serious after profitable the primary set.
- 2014 – last: Three-time defending champion Djokovic is crushed within the quarter-finals and Nadal beats Federer within the semis to offer himself one other shot at Melbourne glory. All that stands between him and the trophy is first-time Slam finalist Stan Wawrinka. However the Swiss comes by way of in 4 units to turn out to be the primary man exterior the then ‘Massive 4’ to win a serious title for 5 years.
- 2017 – last: One other Federer-Nadal last, however this time Federer is 35 years outdated, on his method again from a six-month lay-off with a knee damage and with out a win over Nadal in a serious last since 2007. Ninth seed Nadal is the favorite however it’s Federer who prevails in a five-set thriller.
- 2019 – last: Second seed Nadal reaches the showpiece with out dropping a set. However in opposition to a locked-in Djokovic, Nadal crumbles, dropping 6-3 6-2 6-3 as Djokovic registers his largest victory in a serious last over his nice rival.
Why 2022 was such an enormous deal
Nadal stated he was “bodily destroyed” after his victory over Medvedev two years in the past, with a chair as soon as once more being introduced on stage for him on the trophy presentation.
He set various information with the victory, turning into the primary participant to win an Australian Open last from two units down within the Open period, in addition to breaking the tie with Federer and Djokovic for essentially the most males’s main singles titles.
However the victory was a lot greater than that, with Nadal describing it as one of many “most emotional” of his profession.
The Australian Open was solely Nadal’s second aggressive occasion in 5 months, coming off the again of an unsure six months wherein he feared he might need to retire.
Continual ache in his left foot – an issue nonetheless to at the present time – restricted Nadal to only one match within the last six months of the season, whereas a nasty bout of coronavirus in December additionally impacted his preparations.
However arguably, no-one actually anticipated him to win, or to win in the way in which he did. His quarter-final in opposition to Denis Shapovalov went to 5 units, with Nadal needing abdomen therapy at one level, and it was his trademark grit that obtained him to the ultimate.
By the point Medvedev went 6-2 7-6 (7-5) up and with three break factors for a 4-3 third-set lead within the showpiece, he virtually had one hand on the trophy.
But it surely was Nadal who prevailed. Undoubtedly helped by the gang, Nadal simply fought. The forehand whizzed forwards and backwards, the serve cranked up, the motion appeared higher – and in some way, he got here out on high.
It was, in so some ways, the epitome of Nadal’s profession. And if he has performed his final Australian Open, the 2022 title is an ideal reminder as to why he will likely be so missed, each at this yr’s match and sooner or later.