It was only a few months back that Rafael Nadal was walking on crutches, recovering from his injured left foot. Yet, months after returning home from Barcelona for treatment, he was back on the Rod Laver Arena creating history. With his win over World No. 2 Daniil Medvedev, Rafael became the first and only man in history to win 21 Grand Slam titles.

Stars take to Instagram to congratulate Rafael Nadal on creating history

Many players from the tennis fraternity as well as other sports took to Twitter to congratulate Rafa and express their admiration for this unbelievable record. Some, however, chose Instagram to offer their wishes.

Read more: “GOAT”: Roddick, Wawrinka, Gasol, Casillas, Kroos, and Entire Sporting Fraternity Goes Beserk as Rafael Nadal Wins 21st Grand Slam

Dominic Thiem, the current World No. 16, who has been out of the circuit for some time because of a wrist injury, shared a post about Nadal by ATP’s official page, on his Instagram stories.

“The dream of every tennis player is to win a grand slam… but 21!? you are a true champion & inspiration. Hope to share the court with you soon,” he wrote on his story.

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After the championship point, Nadal did not collapse on the court as a celebration like he does, but stood in disbelief, processing the history he just scripted. He then hugged the members of his team and shared a heartwarming moment with his father, Sebastian Nadal. His father has been a constant in Rafa’s player’s box since his initial pro days.

Former WTA World No. 1s, Maria Sharapova, and Caroline Wozniacki, both shared a picture of Rafa hugging his dad after the match, to offer their congratulations. “A picture worth a thousand words, Congratulations,” Sharapova said. Wozniacki, on the other hand, congratulated both Rafael Nadal and Ashleigh Barty, applauding the “two amazing champions.”

Australian Open win marks a major comeback for Nadal

Not only has Nadal been grappling with a foot injury, but he also contracted covid a few weeks before the Australian open was slated to begin. In the pre-tournament press conferences, he has repeatedly been saying how he was just grateful to be able to play. He also mentioned how he was not expecting anything great out of the Happy Slam. But, in what has been a spectacular display of tennis for two weeks, he is the last man standing.

In the final, Medvedev won the first set comfortably and came back from a 4-1 deficit to extend the second set into a tie-break. He even won the second set, taking a comfortable two-set lead over the Spaniard. Everyone is aware of the grit and determination with which Nadal approaches each match. It was at this point that Nadal stepped up his game and turned the heat on.

He won the next two sets, forcing the match into a deciding fifth set. While each player broke the others’ serve, it was Nadal who survived, forcing Medvedev to make mistakes, executing every strategy and shot in his artillery. With the win at the Australian Open, Nadal overtakes the Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic’s Grand Slam records of 20 each.

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