Rafael Nadal Parera is the best tennis player in history. Idol and reference in the hearts of so many people, the Spanish hero recovered from a five-month absence to resurrect and close the circle, drawing an unbeatable, unbeatable sphere for the day of his ascent to heaven. Rafa resolved in his favor a final in which he lost the first two sets and was very close to falling in the third to come back (2-6, 6-7, 6-4, 6-4, 7-5) to Daniil Medvedev , break the curse that linked him to the Australian Open and finally be crowned champion for the second time in Melbourne. The tie at 20 between the man from Manacor, Federer and Djokovic no longer exists because Nadal already has 21 and climbs a step in history. He is the best of all time.
The best tennis player in history is the only one who can come back after an injury that brought him close to retirement and win. The best tennis player in history is the only one capable of overcoming the curse after losing five finals at the Australian Open and winning. The best tennis player in history is the only one who can come back, for the first time in his career, from two sets against and win, at the age of 35, in more than five hours of play. The best tennis player in history has had TWO Australian Open, THIRTEEN Roland Garros, TWO Wimbledon and FOUR US Open. The best tennis player in history, to the pride of Spain and world sport, is called Rafael Nadal .
The final of the Australian Open 2022 was going to be remembered by all, but the spectacle offered by both contenders, in a battle of opposing styles with the talent in common, lasting almost five hours, allows it to be classified as one of the best matches of recent years. On one side, Daniil Medvedev , a champion of power and modern tennis with kilometer-long punchers with a not too furnished head. In the other, Rafael Nadal, 35 years old, former number one, champion of 20 Grand Slams and in search of history in case of winning a new title. His style, with effects, courage and exemplarity as characteristics, caught on with the Australian public from the first moment.
It was clear that Nadal was playing at home and the presentation of the protagonists confirmed it, even before the warm-up. Ovation for Rafa and division of opinions, with resounding whistles, for the controversial Daniil . Nadal won the draw and chose to serve at the beginning of the match, knowing that he had to be aggressive from the first minute. That strategy that we saw with Berrettini had to be applied to Medvedev , the most regular tennis player in recent months and future number one in a few weeks.
The man from Manacor began with two games suffered, but carried forward with maximum competitiveness, against a Medvedev who was groping as if it were a boxing match before dealing the first blow and seeing if it damaged his rival. The lunge came in the third turn of Rafa’s serve, who with too many unforced errors was forced to let the first break go, straight to the world number two’s pocket. Quick, quick and insightful, Daniil had the upper hand.
Medvedev strikes first
The first set went from trial to ordeal for Nadal , mired in the disconnection of his forehand and, with it, in the impossibility of competing against the fierceness of Medvedev ‘s backhand. The Russian, a giant who is close to two meters with the plasticity of a gymnast, moved at ease through the center of Melbourne Park both on serve and above all on the return, where Nadal would be broken again, blank, to end up giving up the part by 6-2. Things were uphill from the start.
Rafa suffered and sweated, a lot, in a match that had to get an immediate reset by the Balearic. The legend of Nadal is explained from feats superior to what was needed, so overcoming the pothole and really competing in the final was not too much of a problem for a tennis player who was playing to become the best in history.
Tying his serve first despite double faults, again a recurring problem in his tennis, Rafa took advantage of the fact that Medvedev was far away to dominate and play him, whenever possible, to his forehand, a remarkable blow but much more irregular than his deadly backhand. Thus, and taking advantage of the relaxation of a tennis player tending to it, Nadal broke and blew up the stands with a 4-1 that gave way to the authentic madness experienced in the match.
Rafa, against the ropes
Medvedev reacted on time and broke Nadal’s serve in a perfect game, spiced up by forehand errors, all too common in the match for a reference in the matter like Rafa . However, and again with the superhero cape, the Spanish broke again and placed himself in a position to serve for the set. It was not enough. The match had turned into a chain of breaks and the last one, before the decisive tie-break, went to Medvedev. Nadal had let the opportunity pass.
In sudden death, as in the course of the set, an epic Nadal began winning before his own mistakes condemned him to maximum equality again. It was then that the magic version appeared, in this case from Medvedev , who hooked two number one shots at the right time to, with the second of them, an unreal passing down the line backhand, put the tie to the set and bury many of the Rafa’s chances of coming back from the final.
Nadal never gives up
The clash had become an extreme slope for Nadal , after two hours of the match and with too many war wounds caused by missed opportunities and, of course, by the carat tennis and resistance of his rival. Rafa would continue to fight, but he would have to steal ballots because they were all in Medvedev ‘s pocket.
Nadal had the opportunity to break his opponent’s serve from the start, but again the errors, again with his forehand, prevented him from taking advantage. A competitor like no other and with the courage to lift a country, Rafa survived a game that seemed fatal, overcoming three break points against. The end was near and of course, in favor of Medvedev . However, when we all imagined what the turning point would be like to close the victory of the Russian, Nadal appeared to sweep away all the opinions contrary to his victory with an epic basis.
Again above logic, Rafa broke the giant and scored the third set, his first in the match, fueling everyone’s hope, because at that time at the Rod Laver Arena the Spanish flags were dominating among the fans , mostly foreigners, and in national territory people had parked snacks, meals and other plans for a better one. See Nadal attempt one of his greatest feats of all time.
The amazing Nadal
Three sets and more than three hours later, Nadal had reached his best level in the match and moved Medvedev . Suffering on serve, because the one in front of him was not only gigantic in size, Rafa began to be chanted as a GOAT in Melbourne and with a tangible explanation. A new heroism allowed him another break with which to take advantage, after Daniil equalized him in a new set to remember in a historic battle. The prize was for Rafa also in the room.
The match of the matches went to the fifth with four hours and too many points to remember. It was already a meeting to frame and only the last remnants remained and settle the winner between the best in history and the future number one. The comeback was close, but beyond the winner, it is worth highlighting the extraordinary merit of two opposing players in almost everything, although they share the most important thing: a special talent for playing tennis and causing epic encounters that are not forgotten.
Returning to the matter, the fifth set began with Nadal ‘s options to the rest, neutralized at first by Medvedev . Rafa was more solid, stronger physically and with the right destroying strategies. Everything in favor in sensations, but, seen what was seen, anyone trusted the Russian. Nadal did not do it and he did well, because that’s where he stayed 100% and his inspiration gave him a forehand from another planet that made the break good.
The best in history
The Spanish hero was placed 3-2 and served. Two steps away from making all his followers cry on one of the most special days in the history of sport. Medvedev was not going to give up and would put Rafa in check up to four times, who with an unrealistic percentage of firsts got rid of a service that shortened the path to victory. The best in history was about to prove it on paper with his second title in Australia .
The drop shots, which as a general rule drew a winning panorama for Nadal , were his argument in a final stretch of the match in which the Spaniard defended his serve tooth and nail while Medvedev ran for all in search of the comeback of the comeback. It arrived, with Rafa giving up a 5-4 and 30-0 before resurrecting for the umpteenth time and breaking, achieving the counter-break, to serve with a favorable 6-5.
Thus, we arrive at the most exciting moment, with absolute silence on the court and four points on the horizon, on serve, to turn history around and achieve an impossible goal. Rafael Nadal Parera, the idol of world tennis, threw himself to the ground after five hours and twenty-four minutes to cry out to heaven and verify that at this moment he, only he, is, with the numbers in hand, the best tennis player in the history.
