Nadal wins Australian Open for record 21st major title

[Omaha Steve]

Last edited Mon Jan 31, 2022, 12:50 AM - Edit history (3)

Source: AP

By JOHN PYE

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -- Searching for inspiration when he was down two sets and facing triple break point, with his prospects of winning a record 21st Grand Slam title almost shot, Rafael Nadal thought back to some of his most difficult defeats.

A renowned right-to-the-end competitor, Nadal dug deep in that critical moment and won the next four points to survive the immediate threat from Daniil Medvedev. Minutes later he held for 3-3 in the third set and swung the momentum of the Australian Open final around.

Nadal eventually did get to 21 first, setting the men's record for most Grand Slam singles titles after a dramatic 2-6, 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 comeback win that lasted 5 hours and 24 minutes and finished early Monday morning.

The 35-year-old Spaniard now has one more major title than Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, his long-time rivals in the so-called Big Three.



Rafael Nadal of Spain holds the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup after defeating Daniil Medvedev of Russia in the men's singles final at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, early Monday, Jan. 31, 2022. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair)


Read more: https://apnews.com/article/australian-open-daniil-medvedev-novak-djokovic-rafael-nadal-sports-48f9435658d6e1b2adca9397b62d5b47

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It was time to end the spoiler title as I'm calling it a day. Read through the replies.

[LoisB]

1. Congratulations to him from a Roger Federer fan.

[JudyM]

2. Federer's quick response was beautifully touching sportsmanship and friendship

Link to tweet

[brush]

3. That's classy...and no mention of Djokovic makes it enen more.

[perfessor]

4. A great match between two great shotmakers.

Medvedev is exciting to watch, and has a brilliant future.

[bahboo]

5. epic....

[Jeebo]

6. Thanks for putting "SPOILER ALERT" in your title.

I couldn't stay up until 2:30 a.m. CST to watch a five-set match, so I set my DVR to record it and I was going to watch it this evening. So then I get up today and scan the General Discussion headlines on DU and guess what I see? Now I won't get to watch it not knowing who won.

You really should have put SPOILER ALERT in your title and not revealed the winner until the text of the thread.

-- Ron

[Karma13612]

24. I understand your pain.

I went to bed at 11 pm sat night and got up at 3 am to watch it.

When ever I know I can’t watch something live, I put myself on a news ?blackout. No internet of any kind beyond internet mail. That way I won’t be tempted. This article did have a spoiler alert for quite some time. I think? Or maybe it was a different one?

I would encourage you to watch it anyway if you want to see an incredible match. You can be relaxed and not worry about the finish as you see Nadal in the beginning, struggling to overcome Medvedev’s on-coming train, and then how it turns around, miraculously.

Truly a Match for the ages.

[demmiblue]

26. It was kind of a lame spoiler alert:

(SPOILER ALERT) wins Australian Open for record 21st major title

The "record 21st major title" part pretty much gives it away.

[Karma13612]

27. Ah yes, I see!!! Point taken!

[NurseJackie]

7. Why put "Spoiler Alert" in the title if you're also going to put the spoiler info in the title??

Typically, reasonable people use the "spoiler alert" label to advise against clicking to read more INSIDE the post. If the VERY NEXT two words (Nadler wins) are the spoiler, then why bother warning the reader at all??

[Omaha Steve]

8. Best I could do with LBN rules

By request from reply #6. I added spoiler alert.

By SOP rule I have to use the published title. This was the best I could do as a compromise.

Statement of Purpose
Post the latest news from reputable mainstream news websites and blogs. Important news of national interest only. No analysis or opinion pieces. No duplicates. News stories must have been published within the last 12 hours. Use the published title of the story as the title of the discussion thread.

[NurseJackie]

9. That tells me it's not really LBN ... No?

[George II]

16. Yep. Funny how that works out for some, eh?

[Jeebo]

11. SPOILER ALERT _______ wins Australian Open ...

That would have followed the rules without spoiling it for those of us who didn't know yet and wanted to watch the match. If you think it doesn't follow the rules exactly, well, I think common sense takes precedence over the rules. I wanted to watch that match in its entirety tonight, WITHOUT knowing who had won, just as if I were watching it live, and now I can't.

-- Ron

[Escurumbele]

12. Didn't all you had to do was ignore the entire blog? With reading "Australian Open" that was a clue

to not look at it if you wanted to watch the match without knowing who won...I am so confused about the complaints...Maybe I simply don't understand it. Its just that I would have done that...like when someone trying to tell you and you put your fingers in your ears and start going la,la,la,la until they stop???

[George II]

17. Anyone who really cared probably watched it on ESPN this morning anyway.

[Jeebo]

19. I watched the women's final live.

I had to sit up until almost 4 a.m. CST to do that, and it was only two sets, and it really threw my 72-year-old metabolism out of kilter all day Saturday. I could not watch a five-set match that started at 2:30 a.m. CST. So I decided to DVR it and watch it tonight (Sunday) during normal prime time hours. The spoiler foiled that plan, though.

-- Ron

[MissMillie]

21. Not everyone has cable

my sister was doing a DVR for me. I was going to go watch it with her.

[Jeebo]

18. The spoiler information was in the original post.

It was impossible not to see it, just scanning through the titles in General Discussion without actually opening any of the threads. That information should have been in the text of the original post in the thread but not in the title of the post where you'd see it without opening the thread. That title has been changed a couple of times since then, I think because of my complaint, but where it was originally, it was impossible not to see it.

-- Ron

[George II]

15. "Compromise"?

[MissMillie]

20. I would say post it somewhere other than LBN

Seriously, I get that it IS LBN.

I just think it's inconsiderate to post spoilers, unless they're posted in a way that people can avoid them.

[SunSeeker]

10. Good. He is a great player AND a great human being. nt

[Cozmo]

13. Way to go, Rafa!

[Skittles]

14. I get bored by people who win at the same sport over and over

win the top spot of ANOTHER sport and then I will be super impressed

[SKKY]

22. I only saw the last 4 games of the 5th set, but these guys were absolutely...

...bombing out there. Just epic.

[Polybius]

23. Why do most tennis fans say Roger Federer is the GOAT?

Seems like Rafael Nadal might be better.

[Karma13612]

25. GOAT status isn't just

Stats for me. It involves behavior and even some intangibles.

For me, for the era in which I am living now, Rafa will always be the GOAT. He is the consummate sportsman and his behavior and what he has overcome puts him there.

Vamos Rafa! Can you do #22 in ‘22 ???