MELBOURNE, Australia — Rafael Nadal broke his tie with Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer on Sunday night by winning his 21st Grand Slam men’s singles title.
Nadal edged ahead of his longtime rivals by defeating a member of the next generation, Daniil Medvedev, in the Australian Open final, 2-6, 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-4, 7-5.
It was perhaps Nadal’s most surprising major victory. He is 35 and did not win a Grand Slam title in 2021 — losing to Djokovic in the semifinals of the French Open, the tournament where Nadal has reigned supreme, and then playing only one more tournament the rest of the season because of a chronic foot problem.