International Tennis Hall of Fame Honors Rafael Nadal’s Awe-Inspiring Comeback in a Huge Way

The Australian Open 2022 was a roller coaster ride for tennis fans. Novak Djokovic, the player with the highest number of wins on the hard courts of the Australian Open, had to walk out of the tournament because of the vaccine regulations.

Following that, the tournament witnessed a variety of temper tantrums from ATP players, such as Shapovalov arguing for a bathroom break and Daniil Medvedev misbehaving with the chair umpire. However, on the brighter side, Rafael Nadal won his second Australian Open title.

Rafael Nadal, the Accurate Example of Endurance

Post a nerve-wracking match against the Russian tennis star Daniil Medvedev, Rafa finally embraced the trophy after 13 long years. In the five-set long match, the Russian dominated the first two sets. Rafa, on the other hand, looked exhausted. Medvedev took an easy first-set win of 6-2  from a visibly struggling Spaniard. Thereafter, he sneaked the second set out of the Nadal’s hands by 7 (7)- 6 (5).

However, in the third set, Rafa regained his rhythm. Whereas Medvedev’s grip on the match loosened. And the situation remained the same for the remaining two sets. Thus, leading the Spanish tennis legend to the crown. Nadal outclassed the Russian by 2-6, 6 (5)- 7 (7), 6-4, 6-4, 7-5.

Engineering the greatest match comeback in a storied career, on the brightest of stages @RafaelNadal‘s five-set win over Daniil Medvedev in the 2022 @AustralianOpen final is the winner of the Best #Comeback Within a Match #ITHFMomentsVote pic.twitter.com/8KVb6JeVVW

— Tennis Hall of Fame (@TennisHalloFame) May 3, 2022

Nadal’s endurance and self-belief made him win the match. From running across the court to save match points to dominating and pulling trick shots puzzling his opponent, Rafa bounced back real quick and showed pure class. Therefore, the International Tennis Hall of Fame honored him by dedicating a post of appreciation.

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Nadal’s Performance Up Till Now

After Nadal‘s victory at the Australian open, many argued that he could do so only because the other two of ‘the big three’ Federer and Djokovic were not there. However, his 21-match winning streak says otherwise. The 35-year-old, after clinching the trophy at the Australian Open, reigned at the Mexican Open. He got the better of Cameron Norrie, the British tennis ace, to claim the title at the Mexican Open.

Tennis – Australian Open – Men’s Singles Final – Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia – January 31, 2022 Spain’s Rafael Nadal celebrates winning the final against Russia’s Daniil Medvedev REUTERS/Loren Elliott

Thereafter, Rafa made a splendid run to the finals of the Indian Wells. However, Taylor Fritz slipped the title out of his hands, thus ending his 21-match-winning steak. Post-Indian Wells Nadal stepped out of the circuit due to a rib injury.

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After missing the first two clay-based events (Monte Carlo Open and Barcelona Open) the king of clay will make a comeback in the upcoming Madrid Open.

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