Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal's red-hot start to the 2022 season continued on Saturday with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Cameron Norrie in the final of the Mexican Open. 

The Spanish star has now won each of the three tournaments he has entered this year. The Mexican Open was his first event since the Australian Open final on Jan. 30. He won five matches this week, all in straight sets. 

91 and done 💪

The moment @RafaelNadal locked up his 91st career title, and fourth at Acapulco. #AMT2022 pic.twitter.com/xworLaTfbh

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) February 27, 2022

Nadal's four victories in this tournament tie him with Thomas Muster for the most by a male or female singles player. He has won this event twice in the past three years. 

Norrie was seeking his second straight tournament victory. He arrived in Mexico coming off a win at the Delray Beach Open. The 26-year-old had to overcome his bad history against Nadal to win another event. He lost each of their previous three matches, all in 2021, including in the Round of 32 at the Australian Open and French Open. 

This was a methodical victory for Nadal, who only had three aces in the match. He did do a good job of holding serve, winning 30 of 43 first-serve points and saving three of five break point opportunities from Norrie.

Vicious 😠@RafaelNadal just tears into this head-high ball off the backhand side. #AMT2022 pic.twitter.com/wsYpvYdsNu

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) February 27, 2022

Speaking to reporters after his semifinal win over Daniil Medvedev, Nadal sounded reflective about his ability to reach another final at this late stage of his career. 

"This week means a lot after what happened in Australia," Nadal said. "I was able to remain focused. That means that I'm OK mentally, and that's important because there's a tough final tomorrow."

Rafa was great at preventing Norrie from getting comfortable with his serve. He converted four of five break-point chances overall, including three of four in the second set. 

Nadal is currently riding a 15-game winning streak, the longest stretch to open a season in his career. His last loss was in the second round of the Citi Open to Lloyd Harris in August. 

After getting a well-earned week off, Nadal is expected to be in the field at Indian Wells starting March 7. His last appearance in the tournament was in 2019 when he advanced to the semifinal, but had to withdraw prior to a match with Roger Federer because of a hip injury. 

Daniil Medvedev is set to become the world's top-ranked men's tennis player after Novak Djokovic was upset by Jiri Vesely in the quarterfinals of the Dubai Championships.

Medvedev, the winner of the 2021 U.S. Open and a finalist at the 2022 Australian Open, is the first player other than Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer or Andy Murray to sit No. 1 since 2004. The 26-year-old is the third Russian to ascend to No. 1, joining Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Marat Safin. 

Djokovic had been the world No. 1 since Feb. 3, 2020, when he unseated Nadal. The Serb holds the all-time record for weeks at No. 1 with 361.

It's likely Djokovic would have remained the world's top-ranked player for longer if it weren't for his decision to refuse the COVID-19 vaccine. He was deported from Australia ahead of the 2022 Australian Open over his vaccination status, a move that cost him critical points in the world rankings system.

Medvedev, by contrast, made it all the way to his second consecutive Grand Slam final before losing to Nadal in a five-set thriller. 

"It is great for tennis to have someone new at World No. 1," Vesely said after his win over Djokovic. "Novak is such a champion, he has been No. 1 for 361 weeks, but tennis needs new World No. 1s and there is a new generation coming up and I think it is great."

Medvedev is emerging as one of the faces of that new generation, with 24-year-old Alexander Zverev, 23-year-old Stefanos Tsitsipas and 25-year-old Matteo Berrettini all looking to be among his top competitors. 

Serbia's state prosecutors Wednesday denied claims that Novak Djokovic used a fake positive COVID-19 test to try to enter Australia and compete in the Australian Open last month, per Dusan Stojanovic of the Associated Press.

Jake Horton and Daniele Palumbo of BBC News reported the serial number on Djokovic's positive test was out of sequence from other tests taken in Serbia, and it was higher than it was for his negative test result six days later. 

It could indicate irregularities with the positive test purportedly taken Dec. 16.

Djokovic is not vaccinated against COVID-19, but he applied for a visa exemption on the basis that he had recently recovered from the virus.

The prosecutors' office said in a statement that it received requests for criminal proceedings against individuals who allegedly forged two PCR certificates. 

"The prosecution acted according to the regulations, checks were performed, and it was determined that Novak Djokovic was tested several times and that the certificates on the test results from December 16, 2021 and December 22, 2021 are valid," the statement said.

The Australian Open granted Djokovic's medical exemption to participate in the Grand Slam, but his visa was canceled upon his arrival. He later admitted that his travel declaration form contained incorrect information. After an appeal, his visa remained revoked. The decision was unanimously upheld by three Federal Court judges.

Djokovic was deported to Serbia, and Rafael Nadal won the Australian Open.

Thanks to the overwhelming support of the capacity crowd at Rod Lever Arena on Sunday, Rafael Nadal was able to summon the energy to battle back from two sets down and engineer the best comeback of his storied career to beat Daniil Medvedev 2-6, 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 to capture his record-breaking 21st Grand Slam title.

It was five hours and 24 minutes of nail-biting action, with the 35-year old Spaniard giving fans a masterclass of digging deep to fight to the finish.

Legendary status 💪#AusOpen • #AO2022 pic.twitter.com/7uDDds3x7z

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 30, 2022

Now Nadal stands alone with the most Grand Slam wins in men's tennis history.

It was as if the crowd at Melbourne Park knew they would be witnessing history. Even tennis great Rod Laver was on hand in the stadium that bears his name to take in the exciting final.

Throughout the night, Medvedev was in control, besting his opponent with his superior court position and ability to return serves. But in the end, it was Nadal who showed extraordinary resilience to turn Rod Laver Arena from a house of heartbreak to an arena of euphoria.

He has come up short on this same court many times since winning it in 2009. But now he finally has a second major triumph in Australia.

https://twitter.com/AustralianOpen/status/1487791222299242502

It wasn't that long ago that Nadal was doubting his return to the sport after dealing with a career-threatening foot injury.

To do what he did at this point in his career, having to come from behind after struggling mightily early on, showed why he is a legend of the sport.

"First of all I know it's a tough moment, Daniil, you are an amazing champion," Nadal said per Daniel Harris of The Guardian. He continued:

"I've been in this position a couple of times in this tournament, having chances to have the trophy with me, but I don't have any doubt that you have this trophy a couple of times in your career, because you're amazing, so I want to congratulate you. It was one of the most emotional matches of my tennis career and to share a court with you is just an honor, so all the best in the future.

"[Addressing the crowd] I even don't know what to say guys. For me, it's just amazing, being honest, one month and a half ago, I didn't know if I was going to be able to be back on the tour playing tennis again. And today I'm here in front of all you with this trophy with me, and you don't know how much I've fought to be here. I can't thank you enough for all the support I've had since I arrived here, you are just amazing."

               

Australian Open Prize-Money Payouts

There's likely no amount of money that would be enough to top winning a 21st Grand Slam title, but the Australian Open still has to pay out the prize money.

And in victory, Nadal will take home $2,071,064, which is slightly less than last year's $2.13 million.

So while the overall purse amount increased for this year's tournament, the individual payouts decreased.

Medvedev, for his efforts in the hard-fought match, will take home $1,134,583, which is down from $1.16 million in 2021.

Ashleigh Barty, the first Australian to win an Australian Open singles title since 1978, will, like Nadal, put $2,071,064 in her bank account.

"We're offering 17 professional events over four weeks," Tournament director Craig Tiley told Scott Spits of The Age in December. "You're going to be looking at a prize-money pool for four weeks for all of the events, more playing opportunities than ever before than we've had. The opportunities we're providing professional players, will be second to none."

Here's a complete look at the prize purse payouts for the 2022 Australian Open.

               

Men's and Women's Singles

Winner: $2,071,064

Runner-up: $1,134,583

Semifinalists: $644,731

Quarterfinalists: $387,919

Round 4: $236,281

Round 3: $159,202

Round 2: $110,937

Round 1: $74,198

Round 3 qualifying: $53,500

Round 2 qualifying: $35,500

Round 1 qualifying: $25,250

           

Men's and Women's Doubles

Winners: $486,250

Runners-up: $259,333

Semifinalists: $147,676

Quarterfinalists: $81,402

Round 3: $47,004

Round 2: $32,489

Round 1: $21,647

         

Mixed Doubles

Winners: $110,916

Runners-up: $62,853

Semifinalists: $33,275

Quarterfinalists: $17,768

Round 2: $8,866

Round 1: $4,630

There are clearly no hard feelings from Roger Federer about Rafael Nadal becoming the first man to win 21 Grand Slams.

Federer took to Instagram with a warm message for his longtime rival after Nadal defeated Daniil Medvedev in Sunday's 2022 Australian Open final:

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Roger Federer about Rafael Nadal’s
#21 pic.twitter.com/L7LMIc9Lzf

— José Morgado (@josemorgado) January 30, 2022

Nadal holds a 24-16 overall record against Federer during their storied careers, including a 10-4 mark in Grand Slams. The Spaniard's win over Medvedev broke his tie with Federer and Novak Djokovic for the most Slams in men's tennis history.

Federer's future in tennis is currently murky, as he's missed most of the last two years with knee problems. The 40-year-old has maintained he plans to attempt a comeback this year, but it's fair to wonder if his days as a major championship competitor are over.

The same cannot be said for Nadal, who will likely head into the 2022 French Open as the favorite for his 14th championship at Roland Garros. His path in France could be even clearer if Djokovic is unable to enter the country because of his vaccination status.

Djokovic missed the 2022 Australian Open after being deported from Australia because he is unvaccinated for COVID-19 and did not meet the country's protocols to gain entry on an exemption. France recently enacted a strict vaccine law that could limit Djokovic's ability to play in the French Open if he is not inoculated.

There's nobody else like Rafael Nadal.

The legendary Spaniard won a men's-record 21st Grand Slam title Sunday, coming back from two sets down to defeat Daniil Medvedev 2-6, 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 in the men's singles final at the 2022 Australian Open in Melbourne.

https://twitter.com/AustralianOpen/status/1487791222299242502

Nadal's thrilling comeback broke a deadlock with Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer for the most career Grand Slam men's singles titles. His tally includes 13 French Open titles, four U.S. Open titles, two Wimbledon titles and now two Australian Open triumphs that came 13 years apart.

"I even don't know what to say guys. For me, it's just amazing, being honest. One month and a half ago, I didn't know if I was going to be able to be back on the tour playing tennis again," Nadal said after the match, per the Guardian's Daniel Harris and Luke McLaughlin. "And today I'm here in front of all you with this trophy with me, and you don't know how much I've fought to be here. I can't thank you enough for all the support I've had since I arrived here, you are just amazing."

Praise poured in for both Nadal and Medvedev following the instant classic.

Rafael Nadal. That’s the tweet.

— Toni Kroos (@ToniKroos) January 30, 2022

I just cried @RafaelNadal you are my idol 😭

— Alize Cornet (@alizecornet) January 30, 2022

A final of Herculean proportions, thank you for a brilliant contest @RafaelNadal and @DaniilMedwed. Two AO crowns and 21 majors, given everything you have endured this historic victory is so special Rafa. It has been a privilege to watch you doing what you love. Congratulations🚀

— Rod Laver (@rodlaver) January 30, 2022

Tremendous respect @RafaelNadal heroic effort.. @DaniilMedwed many more GS titles to come, great fight👏👏What a final👍👍

— Chris Evert (@ChrissieEvert) January 30, 2022

Nadal, 35, was something of a surprise finalist in Melbourne, as he spent several months last year sidelined by a chronic foot injury that had him considering retirement. He also tested positive for COVID-19 in December.

Four. Months. Apart.

Rafael Nadal. The greatest fighter in sports history? pic.twitter.com/n0oWHyG5IT

— Gaspar Ribeiro Lança (@gasparlanca) January 30, 2022

It's a tough loss to swallow for Medvedev, who was looking for his second Grand Slam title after beating Djokovic in the 2021 U.S. Open. He won more total points (189 to 182) and smashed more aces (23 to three) in the final, but Nadal's composure and shotmaking in the key moments helped him come out on top. The five-hour, 24-minute match is the second longest men's major final in the Open Era, per ESPN Stats & Info.

The first set was one-way action in favor of Medvedev. He was ruthless on serve and a stalwart as a returner playing from his deep-lying position. The lanky baseliner broke Nadal in the fifth and seventh games of the set to run away with it.

https://twitter.com/TennisPodcast/status/1487719876827430912

Nadal managed to find a groove in the second set. He broke Medvedev in the fourth game to go up 3-1, a feat that included a 40-shot rally capped off by a breathtaking backhand winner.

40-shot rally? Completed it mate 🎯@RafaelNadal • #AusOpen • #AO2022 pic.twitter.com/Sio6bkW2SM

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 30, 2022

That game looked like it had the makings of an early momentum shift, especially with the crowd firmly behind Nadal and cheering his every point. Medvedev wasn't having any of it. He battled his way back into the set with a couple of breaks and then took a commanding lead by winning the tiebreaker.

84 minutes for that second set.

I’m exhausted!

— Reem Abulleil (@ReemAbulleil) January 30, 2022

With his back against the wall, Nadal showed why he's one of the best to have ever played the game. At 4-4 in the third set, Nadal got the break he desperately needed to go up 5-4. He then served to win the set, ripping some excellent forehand winners along the way.

The fourth set saw the lefty get more aggressive with his forehand, firing away at Medvedev and forcing the Russian to chase his shots all over the court. As the match approached the four-hour mark, Nadal looked much fresher than the player 10 years his junior. Medvedev's legs sagged as he dropped the fourth set 6-4 to set up the final frame.

Seriously, Rafael Nadal is just an insane human. He got absolutely marmalised, realistically, in the first set. He was broken twice, he looked knackered, his forehand had nothing.

Now he's back from the dead and must be favourite going into the fifth set.#AusOpen

— James Gray (@jamesgraysport) January 30, 2022

Nadal drew first blood in the fifth game of the deciding set, hitting a wicked forehand winner to go up 3-2. The next game was a brutal, 13-minute war-within-a-war that saw Nadal save three break points to hold for 4-2.

Man on a mission 🇪🇸@RafaelNadal consolidates an early break against Medvedev to lead 4-2 in the fifth and deciding set.#AusOpen • #AO2022 pic.twitter.com/ZwBNJodKSv

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 30, 2022

Incredibly, that grueling game wasn't even the final twist in the drama. With Nadal serving for the match, Medvedev got a break to even it at 5-5. Not to be outdone in this epic, Nadal broke back to go up 6-5. He then served out to make history, sending the crowd at Rod Laver Arena into thunderous applause.

Despite the loss, Medvedev has established himself as one of the top male players in tennis with his run in Melbourne. He will continue to be a threat at Grand Slams for years to come.

As for Nadal, he can look to extend his lead in all-time Grand Slams on the clay courts of Roland-Garros in May and June.

                 

All stats courtesy of AusOpen.com.

Rafael Nadal has won the race to 21.

Nadal came from behind to earn a thrilling 2-6, 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 victory over Daniil Medvedev to win the 2022 Australian Open. The Spaniard's victory breaks a three-way tie with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic for the most Grand Slams in men's tennis history. 

If this proves to be the 35-year-old's final Slam triumph, he pulled out all the stops. Nadal dropped the first two sets and appeared in dire straits against the younger, more powerful Medvedev, who at times looked overwhelming.

In typical Nadal form, his resolve never wavered.

Over the course of a five-hour, 24-minute marathon, Nadal battled back, taking the third and fourth sets thanks to well-timed breaks before closing things out in the fifth. The match is the second-longest men's Slam final of the Open Era, trailing only the 2012 Australian Open final between Nadal and Djokovic.

With the match going well past the 1 a.m. local time mark, Nadal used his experience and guile in the fifth set to outlast the 25-year-old Medvedev. He went up a break and took momentum early in the set, sitting at 5-4 with a chance to close things out on serve.

Medvedev, unwilling to relent, stayed in the match with a break back of Nadal to knot things up at 5-5. Facing the prospect of falling behind in the fifth set, Nadal again rallied in a back-and-forth game that finally saw him earn a break after three attempts. He then closed the match on serve in relatively short order.

The final statistics of the match could hardly have been any closer. Nadal won 27 games to Medvedev's 26. Medvedev actually outpointed Nadal 189-182 but converted one fewer of their identical 22 break-point chances—a stat that ultimately decided the match.

Nadal has now won each Grand Slam at least twice, joining Djokovic, Rod Laver and Roy Emerson as the only men to pull off the feat. His 18-year span between his first and most recent Grand Slam is also the second-longest in men's tennis history, behind only Ken Rosewall (20 years).

Nadal will head into the year's second major, the French Open, as the favorite for his 14th championship at Roland Garros. He has racked up an astonishing 105-3 record at the clay-court major and has won the event four of the last five years.

Djokovic got over the hump to defeat Nadal during last year's semifinal clash, but his status for the French Open remains unclear because of his vaccination status. The Serb was deported from Australia before the Open because he is unvaccinated, and France's new vaccine laws put him at risk of not being allowed into the country.

With Federer's future in tennis unclear at the moment, the field could be wide-open for Nadal to continue polishing up his GOAT resume in France.

Daniil Medvedev broke up the dominance of the Big Three of men's tennis when he won his first major at the 2021 U.S. Open.

Medvedev can pick up the rare back-to-back major titles that do not belong to Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal or Roger Federer if he beats Nadal in the 2022 Australian Open men's singles final.

Only once in the last 12 years have two players who are not Djokovic, Nadal or Federer won consecutive majors. Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka won the final two majors of 2016.

Medvedev is also looking to become the first Russian man to win in Melbourne since Marat Safin in 2005. Safin's triumph Down Under came one major before Nadal took his first Grand Slam championship.

Nadal has a chance to take a lead over Djokovic and Federer on the list of the most men's singles titles in Grand Slam history.

The three-way tie at 20 titles will be hard to break since Nadal is 1-4 in Australian Open title matches.

        

Men's Singles Final Info

Date: Sunday, January 30

Start Time: 3:30 a.m. ET

TV: ESPN

Live Stream: ESPN+ or ESPN app

      

Pick

Daniil Medvedev over Rafael Nadal in 4 Sets

Medvedev is far and away the better hard-court player than Nadal.

The 25-year-old Russian flexed his dominance on the surface when he beat Djokovic to capture the 2021 U.S. Open title.

Medvedev reached the final in each of the last three hard-court majors. He came into Melbourne as the favorite after Djokovic was ruled ineligible following the hearing over his visa status.

Medvedev defeated Djokovic in straight sets last fall in New York, and he fought Nadal in a five-set battle in the 2019 U.S. Open final.

Most of Nadal's major triumphs have come at the French Open or Wimbledon. He has five hard-court titles, and just one of them came Down Under.

Nadal last won the Australian Open in 2009, and he struggled against Djokovic, Federer and Wawrinka in his four championship losses in Melbourne.

Nadal's last final loss in Australia was a straight-set defeat at the hands of Djokovic three years ago.

The sixth-seeded Spaniard ran into a bit of trouble in the last two rounds. Denis Shapovalov took two sets off him in the quarterfinals, and Matteo Berrettini won a single set against him in the semifinals.

Nadal can't afford any mistakes against Medvedev, who looked sharp in his four-set win over Stefanos Tsitsipas in the last round.

Medvedev lost the second set to Tsitsipas and the first two sets of his quarterfinal match with Felix Auger-Aliassime, but he displayed terrific closing skill in both of those matches.

The No. 2 seed only lost five games to Tsitsipas and turned the tide of the Auger-Aliassime match with a third-set tiebreak win.

Medvedev can bank on that bounce-back skill if he loses a set to Nadal inside Rod Laver Arena.

In most situations against one of the Big Three, an argument could be made that Medvedev would feel more pressure in the championship match.

However, that may not be the case since he already conquered Djokovic and had some success in a final versus Nadal.

Nadal is facing pressure to win his 21st major and win for the first time in Australia since 2009 on his less preferred surface.

Medvedev has everything in his game to take down Nadal, and that should help him prevail Sunday.

Rafael Nadal and Daniil Medvedev secured their spots on Friday in the 2022 Australian Open final.

The sixth-seeded Nadal got past No. 7 Matteo Berrettini in the first Friday semifinal by a 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 score. Then the second-seeded Medvedev defeated No. 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-6 (5), 4-6, 6-4, 6-1.

If Nadal wins Sunday's final, he will break a tie with Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer for the most career men's singles Grand Slam titles in the Open era with 21.

With no Djokovic in the tournament because he isn't vaccinated against COVID-19 and no Federer because of a knee injury, the door was open for Nadal to make a run to the final.

It wasn't always easy, especially in the quarterfinals when he needed five sets to beat Canadian Denis Shapovalov, but now Rafa is one victory away from history.

Standing in his way is the 25-year-old Medvedev, who has arguably played better tennis than anyone since last summer.

Medvedev won last year's U.S. Open, which marked the first Grand Slam singles title of his career. If he can beat Nadal in the Aussie Open final, that will make it two major championships in a row.

Like Nadal, the Russian had some struggles en route to the final, as he needed at least four sets in all but two of his matches, including a five-set marathon against Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime in the quarters.

Medvedev also lost his composure at times in a four-set win over Tsitsipas in the semis, even receiving a code violation for directing an obscenity toward the crowd, which was clearly in favor of Tsitsipas.

Nadal, who had to overcome a foot injury to play in the Australian Open, said during his post-match on-court interview that it is something that is still in the back of his mind: "Every day has been an issue in terms of problems on the foot. Doubts still here ... probably for the rest of my career. But for me it's amazing ... (to) just compete and play tennis at the high level again, facing the most important players of the world."

Despite all his success, Nadal only has one Australian Open title to his credit, although the 2009 champion has reached the final four other times, with the most recent coming in 2019.

Meanwhile, Medvedev is making his second consecutive appearance in the Australian Open final after losing to Djokovic last year.

In terms of head-to-head meetings, Nadal and Medvedev have faced each other only four times. The 35-year-old Nadal is 3-1, including a win in the 2019 U.S. Open final.

Medvedev will look to get revenge for that particular loss, but the stakes are even higher this time around since Nadal can establish himself as the most accomplished men's tennis player in history with a win.

Rafael Nadal advanced to the 2022 Australian Open men's final with a four-set victory over Matteo Berrettini on Friday at Melbourne Park.

Nadal will have an opportunity to take over the all-time record for men's Grand Slam titles when he faces No. 2 seed Daniil Medvedev in the championship match. He currently shares the mark with longtime rivals Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic (20 each).

The 35-year-old Spanish fan favorite will be playing his sixth Australian Open final and seeking his second title, with the first coming in 2009.

Efficiency was the name of the game for Nadal in the semifinal, and he needed every bit of it as Berrettini put together a strong showing of his own despite the defeat.

The 25-year-old Italian, who's reached at least the quarterfinals in four straight majors, held advantages in both winners (38-28) and aces (14-5) to put a lot of pressure on Rafa.

Nadal answered by recording just 19 unforced errors in 35 games. He also won 75 percent of points when coming to net (12 of 16), 63 percent on his second serve (20 of 32) and broke Berrettini four times while allowing just two break-point chances.

Now the tournament's No. 6 seed gets another shot at a second Australian Open title, something he didn't expect to happen.

"There were times I played amazing finals with good chances—against Novak in 2012, against Roger 2017—I was close a couple of times,” Nadal told reporters. "I feel very lucky that I won it once in my career in 2009, but I never thought about another chance in 2022."

He'll face off against second-seeded Medvedev, who won the final major of 2021 at the U.S. Open and scored a four-set win over Stefanos Tsitsipas in Friday's other semifinal.

Nadal holds a 3-1 advantage in their prior ATP Tour meetings, but Medvedev emerged victorious at their most recent encounter at the 2020 ATP Finals.

The men's final is scheduled to take place Sunday at 7:30 p.m. in Melbourne (3:30 a.m. ET in the U.S.).