Nadal said he was “physically destroyed” after his victory over Medvedev two years ago, with a chair once again being brought on stage for him at the trophy presentation.
He set a number of records with the victory, becoming the first player to win an Australian Open final from two sets down in the Open era, as well as breaking the tie with Federer and Djokovic for the most men’s major singles titles.
But the victory was so much more than that, with Nadal describing it as one of the “most emotional” of his career.
The Australian Open was only Nadal’s second competitive event in five months, coming off the back of an uncertain six months in which he feared he might have to retire.
Chronic pain in his left foot – a problem still to this day – restricted Nadal to just one tournament in the final six months of the season, while a bad bout of coronavirus in December also impacted his preparations.
But arguably, no-one really expected him to win, or to win in the way he did. His quarter-final against Denis Shapovalov went to five sets, with Nadal needing stomach treatment at one point, and it was his trademark grit that got him to the final.
By the time Medvedev went 6-2 7-6 (7-5) up and with three break points for a 4-3 third-set lead in the showpiece, he almost had one hand on the trophy.
But it was Nadal who prevailed. Undoubtedly helped by the crowd, Nadal just fought. The forehand whizzed back and forth, the serve cranked up, the movement looked better – and somehow, he came out on top.
It was, in so many ways, the epitome of Nadal’s career. And if he has played his last Australian Open, the 2022 title is a perfect reminder as to why he will be so missed, both at this year’s tournament and in the future.
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at BBC Sport…