Daniil Medvedev, 25, insisted on Sunday he was not disappointed to give up a two-set lead and lose the Australian Open, while heaping praise on unreal Rafael Nadal. The World No.2 looked destined to clinch a second Grand Slam title after his US Open breakthrough last year when he held three break points against Nadal’s serve in the third set after winning the first two at Melbourne Park.
But the never-say-die Spaniard saved them all before battling back for a famous 2-6, 6-7, 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 victory in a gruelling 5hr 24min to deny Medvedev and win a historic 21st Grand Slam title. “If we talk about tennis, I’m not that disappointed. It was a huge match,” said the Russian. “For sure, some small points, small details that I could have done better if I wanted to win. But that’s tennis, that’s life. Rafa played unreal, he raised his level.”
It was the second time Nadal had denied Medvedev in a Grand Slam decider, winning a five-set epic at the 2019 US Open. “At two sets to love up I was just like, ‘go for him’ “ said Medvedev, who was in his fourth Grand Slam final. “In the fifth set I was just like ‘make him run’. But he was unreal, he was strong the way he played. So talking about tennis, I don’t have much regret. I’m going to try and continue my best, work even harder to try to be a champion of some of these great tournaments one day.”
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