Nadal returned from a five-month injury hiatus to win the title at Melbourne Park, defeating Daniil Medvedev 2-6, 6(5)-7, 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 in a five hour and 24 minute battle. The 35-year-old’s second Australian Open crown also marked his 21st Grand Slam title, making him the first man in tennis to reach that number.
Speaking at a press conference before the 2022 St. Petersburg Ladies’ Trophy, Pavlyuchenkova revealed that she caught the last three sets of the final in Melbourne. Those sets, incidentally, saw Nadal’s best tennis of the night; the Spaniard picked up the pace only towards the end of the second set, after a lackluster start.
The World No. 14 further stated she regards Nadal as a role model because of his grit and determination. Pavlyuchenkova was particularly impressed with the 35-year-old’s forehand, falling short of words to describe the emotions it stirred in her.
At the same time, Pavlyuchenkova didn’t fail to express sympathy for her countryman Medvedev. The 30-year-old disclosed that she was actually rooting for Medvedev during the match, and that she considers him a good friend.
Pavlyuchenkova further opined that the World No. 2 is capable of coming back from the loss since he is still young. She revealed that she texted Medvedev later to remind him not to get disheartened, as the future had more interesting things in store for him.
Rafael Nadal is expected to play next at the Acapulco Open
Rafael Nadal’s next stop is expected to be at the Acapulco Open (February 20-26), followed by the Indian Wells Masters (March 10-20). The Spaniard stated during a press conference earlier this week that as long as he remains fit, he will play both these tournaments before moving on to the clay season.
With 2250 ranking points to his name already (2,000 points from the Melbourne Major and 250 points from the Melbourne Summer Set) in 2022, the 21-time Grand Slam champion has all but secured a place at the year-end ATP Tour Finals. According to the rules, a current-year Grand Slam winner will be prioritized for the tournament even if he finishes the Race to Turin between No. 8 to 20.
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