Rafael Nadal made tennis history by winning his 21st grand slam singles title at the Australian Open.
The 35-year-old’s epic five-set victory over Daniil Medvedev moves him clear of great rivals Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic at the top of the all-time list.
Here's how Nadal has fared at each slam...
Australian Open – two titles
Legendary status 💪#AusOpen • #AO2022 pic.twitter.com/7uDDds3x7z
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 30, 2022
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This is Nadal’s second most successful tournament in terms of matches won but it took him 13 years to add a second title to the one he claimed in 2009 with a five-set victory over Federer. He has been affected by untimely injuries several times, notably in the 2014 final against Stan Wawrinka, while he also lost two finals to Djokovic and a classic to Federer in 2017.
French Open – 13 titles
The numbers speak for themselves in terms of Nadal’s dominance at Roland Garros. Since winning on his debut in 2005 just after his 19th birthday, the Spaniard has lost just three times – twice to Djokovic and once to Robin Soderling, who was the first man to beat him in 2009. It is the most dominant display at a single slam in history and a record that is unlikely ever to be beaten.
Wimbledon – two titles
Switching straight from clay to grass is notoriously difficult but Nadal learned quickly how to adapt his game to the surface and, after losing in successive finals to Federer in 2006 and 2007, he produced arguably the most memorable performance of his life in defeating the Swiss over five sets the following year. He won a second title in 2010 by beating Tomas Berdych but subsequently struggled with knee issues and his last final came in 2011, when he lost to Djokovic.
US Open – four titles
The US Open is Nadal’s second most successful tournament in terms of titles – despite it being the one that completed his career Grand Slam. He defeated Djokovic at Flushing Meadows in 2010 and 2013 either side of a final loss to the Serbian in 2011. Nadal regained the title in 2017 with victory over Kevin Anderson and then withstood a fightback from Medvedev to win in five sets in 2019.
