After injuries prevented him from playing at Wimbledon, the U.S. Open and the Olympics in 2021, tennis fans wondered if Rafael Nadal would ever win another Grand Slam title.
But Nadal, 35, made history in Sunday’s Australian Open final by pulling off a thrilling comeback to beat Daniil Medvedev in five sets to win his 21st career Grand Slam, breaking a tie he previously held with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic for the most in men’s title history.
After shaking hands with Medvedev and the chair umpire, Nadal punted a tennis ball toward the crowd and let out a few emphatic cheers before dropping to his knees and pointing skyward in celebration. Watch the historic celebratory video below.
In addition to his 13 French Open championships, Nadal has won the U.S. Open four times and at Wimbledon twice.
Don’t be surprised if you see Rafa celebrating on his 80-foot power yacht sometime soon.
