To win a history-making 21 Grand Slam titles it takes an extraordinary mix of determination, commitment and body self-awareness, all of which Rafael Nadal had to call upon during his epic five-set win, but also in the subsequent moments after the match
After spending five hours and 25 minutes battling Daniil Medvedev on Rod Laver Arena – the second-longest final in Australian Open history – Nadal probably could have got away with flopping into an exhausted heap.
However, that is not what champions do.
Following the trophy presentation, the 35-year-old politely declined the usual panel interview with Nine’s Wide World of Sports, instead entering the players’ locker room and collapsing to the ground with fatigue.
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Nadal’s team assembled around him as he lay on the floor, worn out, before coaxing him onto an exercise bike to complete his cool down and recovery.
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The world No.5 later hopped off the bike only to accept congratulations from Aussie tennis legend Rod Laver, who was in attendance for the match.
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It appears Nadal was happy to soak up every moment of his historic victory, Tennis Australia boss Craig Tiley revealing Nadal hung around the precinct until the wee hours.
“Rafa didn’t leave the court – he was taking pictures on the court while we were breaking it down at 4am this morning,” he told the TODAY show.
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