Rafael Nadal, the winner of the Australian Open, 2022, scripted history today as he became the first male tennis player to win 21 Grand Slam titles. In doing so, he surpassed Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, both of whom have 20 victories each to their name.
Nadal defeated Daniil Medvedev in a tough competition that lasted for more than 5 hours, but in the end, it was all worth it for the Spaniard who has a lot to take pride in.
As we celebrate Nadal today, though, let us not forget what it has taken for him to achieve this. His biggest rival Roger Federer hasn’t. In a sweet Instagram story dedicated to Nadal, Roger wrote:
What a match! To my friend and great rival @RafaelNadal, 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.
Federer also thanked Nadal for pushing him to do better as a tennis player and expressed gratitude that he could do the same for his opponent.
Here are some of the reactions to Federer’s post, as people can’t stop admiring the two legends of tennis.
Don’t remember doing anything to deserve these two. It must be dumb luck.