Watch: Nike shares video message following Rafael Nadal's record-breaking win at Australian Open 2022
Rafael Nadal's astonishing comeback win over Daniil Medvedev in the 2022 Australian Open final on Sunday saw him break away from a three-way tie for the Grand Slam men's singles trophies.
The Spaniard, who shared the previous record - at 20 Majors each - with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, now finds himself at the pinnacle. His record-breaking win at Melbourne Park on Sunday has drawn global attention, with members of the tennis fraternity and fans congratulating him on the historic achievement.
Nike, the American apparel and sports equipment manufacturing brand and Nadal's longstanding sponsor, was one of the first to react to him winning his 21st Grand Slam title.
The brand's official Twitter handle posted a short video, revisiting all of the Spaniard's Grand Slam victories leading up to Sunday's triumph.
Advantage, Nadal.
Today, @rafaelnadal made history by becoming the first male tennis player ever to reach 21 Majors. Rafa has been on a relentless journey to clinch this historic 21st Slam. He now stands alone at the top as the GOAT in the men’s game. https://t.co/0DsIVmvTFR
The 44-second-video starts off with a "Match Pont. Quiet Please" voiceover, followed by a countdown recalling all of Nadal's 21 Grand Slam victories.
Notable among these were the Spaniard's first Grand Slam title at the 2005 Roland Garros, with a voice describing him as a "19-year-old wonderkid", his win at the 2008 Wimbledon Championships and the 2012 Roland Garros.
"Today, @rafaelnadal made history by becoming the first male tennis player ever to reach 21 Majors. Rafa has been on a relentless journey to clinch this historic 21st Slam. He now stands alone at the top as the GOAT in the men’s game," the post read.
The video ends with a mention of the World No. 5's latest win and a two-word message reading "Advantage, Nadal".
The Spaniard himself reshared the Nike video on his Instagram handle. The post has since received over 2.9 million views.
Rafael Nadal has now won each of the four Grand Slams at least twice
Coming into this year's tournament, the Australian Open was Rafael Nadal's least successful Grand Slam in terms of titles won.
The Spaniard, despite holding an incredible 82% match-winning record had lifted the Australian Open trophy only once in his career in 2009. But having managed to pull off an incredible two weeks Down Under, the former World No. 1 ticked another box of having won each of the four Grand Slams at least twice.
The stat puts him in the company of Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams, the only two other active players to have accomplished the same.