the spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal He has a date with history, one more in his tremendous career but this time with an even greater scope, when he faces the Russian this Sunday (9:30/Eurosport) Daniel Medvedev on the Australian Open final, with the option of winning his 21st Grand Slam and leaving Djokovic and Federer behind.
Nadal did it again, he resurfaced from a complicated injury, from a long break without playing, to once again give himself the opportunity to fight for an important title. He has done it these weeks in Melbourne, after six months without competing and a foot operation that made him doubt if he would be able to play tennis again, his job and passion.
With the dedication of the greatest of the hard workers and the heart of the most platonic in love, andHe from Manacor arrived in tune at the start of 2022 to gain confidence and game in every game until the last step. Those of Denis Shapovalov and Matteo Berrettini were his most demanding victories, to now sit on the main course, a Medvedev who, although he has suffered, is undoubtedly another level.
The Russian’s path was perhaps more complicated and he had to sweat especially against Félix Auger-Aliassime and Stefanos Tsitsipas, but the world number two is back in a ‘Grand Slam’ final like the one he won a few months ago at the US Open. The option of repeating ‘great’ and winning the second of his record in a row is also historic for a Medvedev 10 years younger than Nadal.
The Russian already spoiled the 2021 Grand Slam for Novak Djokovic in New York and now he can meddle in another high point of tennis history with Nadal as the protagonist. Since he won his first Roland Garros in 2005, the man from Manacor has been cutting back on that race with Roger Federer and, later, enduring the harassment of ‘Nole’, the Serbian decided in a fight in Olympus.
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With the Swiss limping from his knee operations and the Serbian out cold due to his controversial deportation from Australia, Nadal has earned the option of remaining alone at the top and breaking the triple tie with the 21st. The Spaniard will play his sixth final in Melbourne, an elusive tournament and the scene of physical hardship, in search of the second title after the one he won in 2009.
In direct duels, Nadal is 3-1 in favor, being the last match for the Russian, in the 2020 Masters Cup, but the most significant for the Spaniard, the 2019 US Open final. Medvedev has strength, serve and return everything from the bottom of the court, and repeated the final in Australia as a real danger. Nadal knows this and, despite the fact that everyone knows him, he is always capable of more.