Rafael Nadal Wins the Australian Open, His 21st Grand Slam Title

Novak Djokovic overshadowed the first Grand Slam of the year before it began, but Nadal pulled off an epic comeback over Daniil Medvedev that broke his tie with Djokovic and Roger Federer in men’s singles major career victories.

MELBOURNE, Australia — The Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal shook his head, as if in disbelief. Then he moved to the net to shake the hand of his opponent, Daniil Medvedev, and it was then that it seemed to sink in. Nadal stood alone in the record book with 21 career Grand Slam men’s singles titles, one more than his rivals Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.

Suddenly, Nadal punched the air like a prizefighter, flexing his arms like a bodybuilder, pumping his fists overhead, then dropping to his knees as tears flowed.

Nadal’s five-hour-and-24-minute triumph, after being down by two sets, thrilled a raucous crowd on a warm Sunday night at Rod Laver Arena. 

Two weeks ago, just hours before the first matches, Australian authorities deported Djokovic, a perennial favorite in the tournament and Nadal’s longtime rival, for entering the country without being vaccinated against the coronavirus.

Nadal’s victory, and with it the claim of being the sport’s most decorated Grand Slam men’s singles champion, was a cruel twist for Djokovic, a nine-time champion of the event who received an exemption from the Australian tennis federation to play unvaccinated As his legal fight with the Australian government eclipsed everything else, Djokovic became an antihero for the anti-vaccination crowd and a national fixation in Serbia, where he is the country’s most famous international celebrity.

Serbian-Australians and vaccine opponents rallied in front of the hotel where Djokovic was being kept, which also housed asylum seekers, some of whom had been held for two years, casting an uncomfortable glare on another Australian immigration issue. The Australian government, with its powerful immigration laws and coronavirus control measures, was determined to make an example out of the star athlete. The affair highlighted the tensions between sports federations and national authorities, cast doubt on the ability of Djokovic to play in the three remaining Grand Slam tournaments this year 

Nadal, like Djokovic, has now won all four of the major tournaments at least twice. But the Grand Slam titles record has, for better or worse, become the benchmark for success in the modern game, when players routinely play all four Grand Slam tournaments. Serena Williams, who has won 23 Grand Slam titles, is still chasing Margaret Court’s record of 24. Williams, who is 40, did not compete in Melbourne because she is recovering from an injury.