Rafael Nadal is now the only man to have 21 Grand Slam titles. He achieved this incredible feat by playing some incredible tennis during the last two weeks at the Australian Open. Notably, he won his title after defeating Daniil Medvedev in a five-set slogger.

Following his defeat in the semifinals of the French Open last year, Nadal made few to no appearances on the court. Having withdrawn from the 2021 Wimbledon Championship, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and the 2021 US Open, he has been dealing with a left foot injury. In fact, he had not played a match for six months before returning to the circuit.

Even in the lead-up to the Australian Open 2022, he had been downplaying how he was just happy to play. He mentioned quite a few times that did not really expect a brilliant outcome from this tournament. Yet, on Sunday, he was the last man standing, after getting the better of Daniil Medvedev, the World No. 2, who’s had immense success on hard courts.

21st Grand Slam is the most unexpected title for Rafael Nadal

During an interview with 9News, Nadal said that this slam was definitely the most unexpected and surprising for him. From just a couple of months back when he and his team were contemplating whether he’ll be able to return to the tour at all, to now winning a historic title, this has been a fantastic tale of grit, determination, a tremendous work ethic, mixed with a true passion for the sport.

“It’s just amazing no? I really can’t describe much the feelings, because have been probably the most unexpected title of my tennis career… And the way that it happened. I mean have been even more unique… I think yes, have been one of most special titles of my career, without a doubt,” he said during the interview.

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He also mentioned how much the support of the crowd had helped him, and how much he enjoyed being in Australia. “Because coming back after 6 months without playing, and without knowing if my foot can hold a professional match at all, and be able to compete that way for the last three weeks is just, something completely unexpected and a big surprise for me,” he added.

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What are your thoughts about Rafa’s comments on his ‘special title’?