“Rafa Nadal is as tough as a two-dollar steak,” said Robbie Koenig, and the “raging bull” proved it just right with a jaw-dropping comeback from two sets to love down and facing three break points in the third set to win the 2022 Australian Open.
Rafael Nadal became the first tennis player in history to win 21 Grand Slams, breaking the three-way tie of 20 Slams with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. He took his second Australian Open trophy in style, winning 2–6, 6–7, 6–4, 6–4 and 7–5 against the Russian rising star and world number two, Daniil Medvedev, in a breathtaking five and half hour final, the second longest in history.
The 35-year-old was in disbelief after winning the championship point, pulling his trademark fist pump in the air before getting down on his knees, visibly in tears. He got the Australian crowd, which was behind him from the very onset of the match with a hope of witnessing history, to erupt in jubilation. The win comes in the background of the disqualification and deportation of world number one and nine-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic, right before the tournament after the “no vax, no play” episode.  
The Spaniard’s win is particularly special as he had undergone a major surgery a few months back for a chronic leg injury. Congratulating him on achieving the historic feat, Roger Federer mentioned that the duo was joking about being on crutches in the second half of last year. His congratulatory note, which read, “Your incredible work ethic, dedication and fighting spirit are an inspiration to me and countless others around the world. I am proud to share this era with you and honored to play a role in pushing you to achieve more, as you have done for me for the past 18 years,” was celebrated much by the fans of both the legends.
The feat makes Nadal only the second player in the history of men’s tennis to have won every Grand Slam twice in the open era, Djokovic being the other. The epic comeback was yet another manifestation of his mental fortitude, playing every point of a match like his last. It was Nadal’s sixth Australian Open final since his 2009 victory, having lost five of them, making it a long-awaited precious win for the fans.
The king of clay was the underdog going into the final against Medvedev, who was amongst the many next-gen title contenders. Just when commentators of the sport hinted the domination of Nadal and Federer to be waning, and with Novak and Federer out of the tournament, Rafa dismissed the claims with his “phenome-Nadal” Australian Open run. The next-gen sure have a lot of work cut out to hit the mettle of the big three, to be able to win at the big stages consistently.   
Although the much-disputed legend of “greatest of all time” is still up for grabs and Novak still has considerable gas left in his tank vis-à-vis Nadal, this feat is no less than sensational and hasn’t stopped. That said, the sport is about to witness one of the best calendar years due to the fierce competition in men’s tennis after a long time—a mixed emotion for fans of the big three and a red carpet for a new wave of followers for the sport.