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Rafael Nadal he still does not believe that he is champion of the Australian Open, after having surpassed the Russian and main favorite Daniil Medvedev. The much mentioned title, served him to become the first tennis player with 21 Grand Slam in his carrer; That is why the Spaniard is living a dream, since the tennis player himself never thought he could compete at the highest level in a new tournament and against great rivals.
The words of the veteran player came after going early this Monday to the gardens of the Government House, outside of melbourne to meet the photo session with the trophy Norman Brookes and later in an interview with the portals AS and L’Equipe.
“I thought that maybe it would be difficult to play again. Because I was working without seeing any positive evolution in my foot, with many days of frustration and difficult moments with the team. But little by little things got better, the treatments had their effect a little bit. And these three weeks have allowed me to do it, something that for me is incredible”, Rafael Nadal commented to both media.
It is important to note that the Spaniard was in doubt to compete in the first major tournament of the year, because he spent six months on crutches due to an injury to one of his feet; Reason enough to begin to doubt if he could play at a competitive level, although he has never thought about retiring.
However, Nadal has been characterized by not giving up on the court and facing every adversity that comes his way. So much so that, against Medvedev, he reversed a 0-2 deficit to prevail in the following sets. All this thanks to your patience and experience.
“I was just thinking about staying focused and trying to make the right decisions more than anything else. I needed to recover some automatisms for quick decision making”added the Australian Open champion.
the twenty first Grand Slam of his career comes at a time when the forecasts did not give him a fixed view as a candidate for the title, despite having conquered Melbourne Summer Set. In addition, you also have to take two factors that give a special flavor to your reign in Australia, which are having overcome an injury to his ankle and the COVID.
“I think that, in perspective, winning this Australian Open is the most. For the little that I have been able to train, the months that I have been out of the competition, at 35 and a half years old, which are no longer 25, there are many factors that make it the most surprising and unexpected victory “, assured the manacorí.
Despite becoming the only tennis player with 21 championships, the Spaniard sees it as one more trophy for the simple fact of not giving up on continuing to enlarge his record and thus give more importance to what he has shown on the court, after his injury and the time out of action.
“For me it is adding one more. In the end it is that we are not finished and the logical thing is that 21 are not enough to be the one that ends with the most Grand Slams in history “Rafael Nadal said.
Nadal surpassed Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer as the most successful tennis player, since the Serbian and the Swiss remain tied for second place with 20 championships. However, the man from Manaco did not hesitate to surrender to his teammates and recognize the dominance that the three have had in the last two decades and stressed that when they are gone, tennis will continue.
“It cannot be hidden, that these last 20 years we have lived a very special time. When one sees the numbers of the three of us, well, not only the number of victories, but the regularity so long over time makes it something very difficult to repeat and many circumstances have to be given, but tennis will continue and other champions will come. ”, mentioned the manacorí.
“What has happened all my life, that tennis continues. There is no player that is more important than the sport itself. No player, not even on the women’s circuit, not Djokovic, not me, not anyone else, is more important than the sport itself. In the end, each year there are four Grand Slam champions and nine Masters 1,000 champions and other tournaments.”, the 35-year-old tennis player finished.
In this way, Nadal started the year on the right foot to further enlarge his record and increase the brilliance of a career that is placing him as the greatest in history. In addition, the legacy he is leaving exalts the eyes of his followers and of this sporting discipline.
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Source-eldiariony.com