"Very rarely see tears from Rafa, you could see how much this meant" - Lindsay Davenport on Rafael Nadal's emotional reaction after SF win
Lindsay Davenport feels Rafael Nadal's emotional reaction at the end of his semifinal match at the 2022 Australian Open is proof of how happy the Spaniard is to be playing tennis again.
The 20-time Major champion booked a place in his 29th Grand Slam final on Friday with a four-set victory over Matteo Berrettini. The Spaniard followed it up with one of the most emotional celebrations of his career, letting out a series of roars and also tearing up before his on-court interview.
Say hello to Grand Slam final # 29! 💪
Nadal d Berrettini 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3.
#AusOpen
📸 Panoramic https://t.co/jLish8D0cS
Analyzing the match on the Tennis Channel, Davenport pointed out how rare it was for a champion fighter like the World No. 5 to shed tears on the tennis court despite coming out on top.
The American recalled Nadal's words from earlier in the tournament, where the Spaniard stated that he was grateful just to be playing tennis again after his foot injury. Davenport pointed out that the former World No. 1's reaction was just the kind of emotional release he needed prior to arguably the biggest match of his career.
"We very rarely see tears from Rafael Nadal and when he went to his bench, it was a lot. He was crying in his hand, trying to hide it. You could see how much [reaching the final at the Australian Open] meant to him," Davenport said. "We heard him say, "I wasn't sure I was going to be able to play tennis again" and you could see all that come pouring out of him after that win."
The 45-year-old was all praise for the manner in which the 20-time Grand Slam champion disposed of Matteo Berrettini. She was mightily impressed by the perseverance Nadal displayed in the fourth set, having dropped the third in tame fashion.
Davenport described Nadal's performance as a "masterclass" by a "veteran" of the game who knew how to patiently wait for the right moment to strike.
"I loved the match he played. [In] the first two sets, he was absolutely dominant. [He was] playing [Matteo] Berrettini's backhand, playing to his own patterns. In the fourth set, Rafa had to grind to hold his serve," Davenport said.
"He was in trouble in a couple service games but really upped the pace on his serve, got some free points and was just biding his time till there was a little opening to break [Berrettini's] serve. It was a masterclass in Nadal managing his emotions and his physicality, a veteran win."
The victory against Matteo Berrettini was Rafael Nadal's 50th over a top-10 player at Grand Slams
Rafael Nadal's victory over Matteo Berrettini in the semifinals of the 2022 Australian Open was his 50th over a top-10 player across 63 Major appearances.
Because folks like this stat lately:
That win over #7 Berrettini was Rafael Nadal's FIFTIETH (50th) career Grand Slam win against a top-10-ranked opponent.
50-22 against top-10 opposition at Slams in his career.
#AusOpen
Only Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic have won more matches against top-10 opposition in Grand Slams. The Swiss has beaten 64 such players while Djokovic has 61 victories to his name.
Assorted men's greats by top-10 Slam wins:
Federer - 64
Djokovic - 61
Nadal - 50
Lendl - 32
Sampras - 30
Agassi - 25
McEnroe - 25
Wilander - 22
Becker - 22
Wawrinka - 21
Murray - 21
Borg - 20
Edberg - 20
Courier - 16
Connors - 14
Safin - 13
del Potro - 12
Hewitt - 10
Chang - 8
Nadal has lost on 22 occasions to players ranked inside the top 10 at Grand Slam, and he cannot allow that number to increase on Sunday if he is to win a record 21st Major. The Spaniard's final opponent at Melbourne Park is World No. 2 Daniil Medvedev.
The Russian battled past Stefanos Tsitsipas in four sets in the other semifinal and will be looking to win his second consecutive Grand Slam.