Rafael Nadal’s greatest comeback? Spaniard recalls turning around 2022 AO Final: “It was very important not to let myself go”

Rafael Nadal recently looked back on the 2022 Australian Open final against Daniil Medvedev, admitting he thought he was going to lose the match. The Spaniard pulled off one of the last great comebacks of his career to secure his second Australian Open title.

It was an epic tournament for the former world No. 1, who defeated players like Denis Shapovalov and Matteo Berrettini on his way to his sixth final in Melbourne. Nadal had previously fallen short in four Australian Open finals (2012, 2014, 2017, and 2019), but he didn’t let this opportunity slip away.

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In the final, Nadal had to dig deep against Medvedev, coming from two sets down to claim the title. After dropping the first two sets 3–6 and 6–7, he found himself trailing 2–3, 0–40 in the third. Facing multiple break points, Nadal managed to hold serve and then broke Medvedev in the ninth game to take the set 6–4 and keep his hopes alive.

What followed was an epic battle. Nadal took the fourth set 6–4, pushing the match into a deciding fifth. He led 5–3 in the final set, but Medvedev responded by breaking back and levelling at 5–5. Still, Nadal surged again, reclaiming the break and ultimately sealing one of the most remarkable victories of his career: 3–6, 6–7(5), 6–4, 6–4, 7–5.

Rafael Nadal at the 2022 Australian Open

At that point, Nadal was tied with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic at 20 Grand Slam titles. His win in Melbourne gave him a historic 21st, making him the most successful male player in major history—at least temporarily. But as he recently told Spanish outlet AS, there were moments in that match when he truly thought it was all over.

“I thought I was going to lose. But it was very important not to let myself go. I’ve been a player with a good capacity for self-control,” Nadal explained. “I haven’t been a frustrated tennis player on the court, and accepting things allows you to find solutions. The 4% was worth fighting for. That’s always been my point of view.”

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That year, Nadal went on a 21-match winning streak to start the season, only ending in the Indian Wells final with a loss to Taylor Fritz—his best-ever start to a year (21–0). Just a couple of months later, he lifted his 14th French Open title and 22nd Grand Slam trophy, pulling ahead of Djokovic and Federer by two majors.

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