"Should be right up there with his most gratifying triumphs" - Steve Flink on Rafael Nadal's Australian Open win
Tennis journalist Steve Flink reckons Rafael Nadal's triumph in the 2022 Australian Open final should rank among the greatest-ever victories of the Spaniard's career till date.
The Mallorcan overturned a two-set deficit against Daniil Medvedev in the final in Melbourne to win 2-6, 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 after five hours and 24 minutes. With the win, the Spaniard became the first male player to lift 21 Grand Slam titles.
What made Nadal's run at Melbourne Park all the more inspiring was the fact that he had only just made his comeback after spending five months on the sidelines because of a foot injury.
The Laver Cup congratulates @RafaelNadal on winning the 2022 Australian Open and on his record-setting 21 Grand Slam singles titles. #makinghistory https://t.co/U9DiBngwYc
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In a discussion with Gill Gross on his YouTube channel, Steve Flink weighed in on the circumstances surrounding Nadal's victory at Melbourne Park on Sunday. Factoring in the nature of his opponent, the American said there was no reason why the 35-year-old's win should not be spoken of in the same breath as some of his previous achievements.
"It was asking a lot of Rafa, especially to play a long best-of-5 final, given that he did not have the proper preparation that he is accustomed to. And he was playing a guy as tenacious and durable as Daniil Medvedev," Flink said. "The comeback in the final combined with winning the [2022 Australian Open] under these circumstances should be right up there with his most gratifying triumphs."
Flink further explained why the Mallorcan's victory over the World No. 2 was so noteworthy. The 69-year-old pointed out that Medvedev was the favorite coming into the match by virtue of his win over Nadal in their last meeting at the 2020 ATP Finals.
Furthermore, the Russian's commanding victory against World No. 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semifinals meant the odds were stacked against Nadal from the get-go.
"Medvedev won his last match against Rafa at the year-end championships in 2020. Yes, he had been pushed to five sets himself by Felix Auger-Aliassime (in the quarterfinals) but you felt like he was primed after beating [Stefanos] Tsitsipas," Flink said. "Coming into the final, I thought the odds were decidedly against Rafa."
Rafael Nadal's 2022 Australian Open triumph was meant to be: Steve Flink
Steve Flink went on to compare Rafael Nadal's victory this year to Roger Federer's triumph at the Australian Open five years ago. Like the Spaniard, Federer fought his way back from injury and defeated a number of top players, including Nadal, en route to the title.
"[The comparison with Roger Federer's 2017 Australian Open triumph] is a good parallel. Of course, Rafa was the victim that day," Flink said. "That's the other thing that makes this remarkable - Rafa was the first to admit that his mind was wandering to some of those really sharp disappointments he has suffered through the years in Australia."
2017: 35 y/o comes back from long-term injury to win the Australian Open in five-set final
2022: 35 y/o comes back from long-term injury to win the Australian Open in five-set final
@rogerfederer 🤝 @RafaelNadal https://t.co/PiSeilq6F3
Taking Nadal's prowess on hardcourts into consideration, Flink said the Spaniard deserved to have more than one Australian Open title to his name. The American deemed the 35-year-old's win on Sunday as karmic compensation for his earlier "misfortunes at the tournament".
"There have been all these misfortunes for Rafa at the tournament that have led to him having only one title, surprising given that he has four US Opens and has proven how great he can be on hardcourts," Flink said. "Maybe there is some destiny because it just seems like it was almost meant to be."