Former World No. 1 Mats Wilander revealed that he was astonished by Rafael Nadal’s win in Australia, saying it was simply superhuman.
Nadal stunned the world at the Australian Open when he won his 21st Grand Slam. He beat a stubborn Daniil Medvedev in the finals after being down two sets, wrapping up the match with a stunning comeback.
It was sweet redemption for the Spaniard, who had spent the last year recovering from an injury. To come back at 35 years of age and beat some of the best players in the world for a record-breaking achievement is no mean feat.
As a result, Wilander revealed that he was astonished by Nadal’s win, saying he was staggered by his determination and will to win.
“To me this is the best comeback in the Open era,” Wilander told Eurosport, as quoted by Tennis World USA.
“Winning the 21st Grand Slam title, 35 years old, being 36 when the French Open comes around and he beats the best player in the world in Daniil Medvedev; you would have to call him after winning the US Open.”
Gushing praise
“It is indescribable and I do not know where Rafael Nadal finds that strength. It’s just incredible,” he continued.
“He is two sets down and you are playing Medvedev, you are not playing Matteo Berrettini – by that, I mean someone who doesn’t play long rallies. This is physical. Somehow he figured out how to get free points on the serve, free points on the forehand.”
Tim Henman also commented on Nadal’s win, saying, “I can’t quite get my head around it given the last six months for Rafa having not played much coming into this event and all the circumstances he faced prior to the tournament.
“The resilience, he was down two sets to love, I thought he was cooked and he finds a way to keep on fighting and coming back.”
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