Roger Federer on Sunday congratulated his long-time rival, Rafael Nadal, on winning the men's record 21st Grand Slam.
Under the lights on Rod Laver Arena, the legendary Spaniard looked down and out against Daniil Medvedev. However, the sixth seed demonstrated his trademark big-match mentality, overcoming the Russian 2-6, 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 in front of a raucous crowd in a Melbourne classic.
With his dramatic victory, Nadal has claimed sole ownership of the record for the most men's singles Grand Slam titles, moving past Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic who are both on 20 major crowns.
"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, NEVER UNDERESTIMATE A GREAT CHAMPION. YOUR INCREDIBLE WORK ETHIC. DEDICATION AND FIGHTING SPIRIT ARE AN INSPIRATION TO ME AND COUNTLESS OTHERS AROUND THE WORLD. I AM PROUD TO SHARE THIS ERA WITH YOU AND HONORED TO PLAY A ROLE IN PUSHING YOU TO ACHIEVE MORE, AS YOU HAVE DONE FOR ME FOR THE PAST 18 YEARS. I AM SURE YOU HAVE MORE ACHIEVEMENTS AHEAD BUT FOR NOW, ENJOY THIS ONE!" Roger Federer wrote on his Instagram story.
The 35-year-old, who also clinched the trophy in Melbourne in 2009, has become just the second player in the Open Era alongside Djokovic to win each of the four majors at least twice.
In a high-quality and physical match that ebbed and flowed, a pumped-up Nadal showcased his fighting spirit to put water on a red-hot Medvedev performance. With his back firmly against the wall after the second set, Nadal's champion mindset shone through as he began to hit through Medvedev with more success in a brutal, heavy-hitting performance to table the turns.
( With inputs from ANI )
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