Rafael Nadal made tennis history on Sunday by winning the Australian Open for his 21st Grand Slam title, moving one ahead of “Big Three” rivals Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic on the men’s all-time list.
Here, AFP Sport recalls five of the Spaniard’s greatest Grand Slam finals:
2005 French Open
Nadal bt Mariano Puerta 6-7 (7/6), 6-3, 6-1, 7-5
— The one that started it all.
Nadal came in as an 18-year-old left-hander on the rise, with a huge top-spin forehand and expectations to match.
Spanish Rafael Nadal celebrates winning a point against Argentinian Mariano Puerta during their final match of the tennis French Open at Roland Garros , 05 June 2005 in Paris. AFP PHOTO / CHRISTOPHE SIMON Spanish Rafael Nadal celebrates winning a point against Argentinian Mariano Puerta during their final match of the tennis French Open at Roland Garros , 05 June 2005 in Paris. AFP PHOTO / CHRISTOPHE SIMON / © AFP
He won all three clay-court lead-up tournaments, in Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Rome and there was a buzz growing around Nadal as he took to court in a sleeveless shirt, prowling like a young matador.
He blasted through the draw taking out Richard Gasquet, Sebastien Grosjean and David Ferrer.
But the real test came in the semi-final against world number one Federer. The pair had never met on clay.
It was Nadal’s 19th birthday and he won 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.
Little-known Puerta of Argentina, ranked 37, was dispatched in a four-set final and Nadal would not lose another match on the Paris clay until 2009.
2008 Wimbledon
Nadal bt Federer 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (7/5), 6-7 (10/8), 9-7
— A match that is widely remembered as one of the greatest tennis matches of all time, it went to Nadal after an incredible four hours, 48 minutes of action.
Rafael Nadal falls to the ground in near darkness after beating Roger Federer in the 2008 Wimbledon Championships / © POOL/AFP
Scheduled for a 2pm start, the final began late because of rain, had two more rain delays, and ended in light so bad that the Hawk-Eye line-calling system had ceased to work.
Federer clawed back a two-set deficit and saved two match points in the fourth set to take it the distance.
The sheer quality of tennis was like nothing seen before until Federer finally erred, finding the net at 9:21 pm to hand Nadal, who fell on his back onto the grass in relief, his first Wimbledon triumph.
2009 Australian Open
Nadal bt Federer 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (7/3), 3-6, 6-2
— Nadal again came out on top against Federer, this time in a five-set, four-and-a-half-hour thriller.
Rafael Nadal holds the trophy after winning the 2009 Australian Open / © AFP
Unbelievably, the match started less than 24 hours after Nadal had been extended to five hours and 14 minutes in beating countryman Fernando Verdasco in a five-set semi-final.
Nadal’s incredible feat of recovery and stamina delayed Federer from tying Pete Sampras’s then record of 14 Grand Slam titles, and also gave Nadal his first, and until Sunday his only, Australian Open.
2012 Australian Open
Nadal lost to Djokovic 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7 (5/7), 7-5
— One of four Australian Open final defeats for Nadal, but a true epic that will be forever etched in the memory.
The match was the ultimate test of endurance and skill as it unfolded over five hours and 53 minutes of tennis of the highest quality between the world number one Djokovic and second-ranked Nadal.
Rafael Nadal (left) and Novak Djokovic were totally exhausted during the presentation ceremony after their 2012 Australian Open final / © AFP
When it finally ended at 1:37 am Monday local time — the longest Grand Slam final in history — both players were almost out on their feet.
The pair traded brutal blows all night — one energy-draining 31-shot rally caused Djokovic to fall at the end and Nadal to tumble over the sidelines.
“This one was very special,” Nadal said. “Not because I lost, no, because of the way that we played.”
During the trophy presentation, both players needed to sit down. They were totally exhausted.
2013 US Open
Nadal bt Djokovic 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1
Rafael Nadal celebrates winning the 2013 US Open / © GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
— Nadal had seven months out to rest his creaking, injured knees, missing the 2012 US Open and 2013 Australian Open. But he took the world of tennis by storm on his return.
The Spaniard won 60 of 64 matches, 22 of them on hard courts not thought to favour the “King of Clay”, lifted 10 titles, two of them Grand Slams (French Open, US Open) and registered his sixth win over Djokovic in seven matches.
Again the quality of the tennis was that of dreams.
One rally lasted for 54 shots — 20 more than any other in the tournament — as Nadal won in three hours and 21 minutes of pulsating action.
