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RAFAEL NADAL won a record 21st Grand Slam title on Sunday as he was crowned Australian Open champion.
By TOM PARSONS
08:33, Tue, Feb 1, 2022 | UPDATED: 08:34, Tue, Feb 1, 2022
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Rafael Nadal has admitted it “means a lot” to be congratulated by arch rival Roger Federer following his triumph at the Australian Open on Sunday. The Spaniard became the most successful men’s player of all-time after defeating Daniil Medvedev in the Melbourne final to secure a record 21st Grand Slam title.

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In the aftermath of the epic encounter, Federer took to social media to pay tribute to Nadal’s achievement.

“What a match!” Federer wrote on Instagram.

“To my friend and great rival, Rafael Nadal, heartfelt congratulations on becoming the first man to win 21 Grand Slam singles titles.

“A few months ago we were joking about both being on crutches. Amazing. Never underestimate a great champion.

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“Your incredible work ethic, education and fighting spirit are an inspiration to me and countless others around the world.

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Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal has admitted it “means a lot” to be congratulated by arch rival Roger Federer (Image: GETTY)
“I am proud to share this era with you and honoured to play a role in pushing you to achieve more.

“As you have done for me the past 18 years. I am sure you have more achievements ahead but for now enjoy this one!”

The emotional message came after years of intense rivalry between the pair, with both players battling it out for nearly two decades to be the best in the world.

The duo have met each other on nine occasions in Grand Slam finals, with Nadal winning six times and Federer winning three times.

And the Australian Open champion has now spoken of the amazing relationship he has with the Swiss superstar.

With Rafael Nadal coming back from a long injury and winning 2022 Australian Open to win 21 Grand Slam titles, Roger Federer will be motivated says top coach.

By Sarthak Shitole -February 7, 2022
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Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal
With Rafael Nadal winning the 2022 Australian Open, the Spaniard is now the only man on the planet to have won 21 Grand Slam titles. Nadal was tied in a three-way race with close rivals Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic on 20 Slams each. While the other two players lost one final each that kept them on 20, Nadal did not mess up the situation and won his 21st in the first opportunity.

With Rafa returning to Grand Slam action for the first time since his semi-final exit at the 2021 French Open when he injured his foot and could play only twice more in the season, many doubted whether Nadal would be able to sustain in the best-of-5 tournament. Given Nadal had won the Australian Open only once (2009), his track record of 4 runner-up finishes since then also increased the doubts.



The Spaniard however smashed all those and went on to win the major eventually. Darren Cahill, former coach of 2-time Grand Slam champion and former World No. 1 Simona Halep, recently spoke about whether the win of Nadal could motivate Federer into making a successful comeback after the Swiss had to undergo yet another surgery after Wimbledon 2021 that have ruled him out till at least April 2022.

“I also think that what Nadal did could impact Federer’s tank in some way, it’s possible it could give him some fuel. Roger might say to himself: ‘If Rafa keeps doing this, why can’t I do it if I’m healthy?’ The love of the game pushes him to continue, it is what made these three players great.

“That’s what gave Rafa a lot of energy, that’s what allows him to always be standing on the pitch, pushing and pushing. This is where you have to be, you never know what can happen,” said Cahill during his recent interview with New York Times where he also talked about Djokovic’s mentality going into the season ahead.



Rafael Nadal to return later this month, Roger Federer yet to make a decision
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal
Federer recently talked about his recovery and indicated that he might make a return to action in May 2022 but only upon the doctor’s advice. With clay a difficult surface to play on for a person returning from a knee injury, the Swiss Maestro might just skip the entire Clay season and return on his strong fort of Grass courts with the 2022 Wimbledon his goal.

As for Nadal, he will return to action later this month at the 2022 Acapulco Open, an ATP-500 tournament that will begin on 21st February 2022 in Mexico. While he has committed to play, Nadal might have a change in plan as per his fitness as he aims to remain fit for the ATP-1000 Masters tournaments in March and then the Clay season.


Also Read: Another feather in the cap for Rafael Nadal, to be made Grandee of Spain