Decoding the stats of Rafael Nadal at Australian Open
What's the story
Spanish ace Rafael Nadal will be returning to action at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi this week. The 20-time Grand Slam champion, who has not competed anywhere since the Citi Open, also headlines the entry list of the 2022 Australian Open. World number six, Nadal, will bid to win his second Australian Open title. Here are his key stats.
Context
Why does it matter?
Nadal last played in Washington, having suffered a defeat to Lloyd Harris. He skipped Wimbledon after losing to Novak Djokovic in the French Open semi-finals. Nadal also missed the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and the US Open thereafter. The Spanish maestro is vying to win his 21st major title at the Australian Open. However, this is his least successful Slam in terms of titles.
Title
Nadal won his only Australian Open title in 2009
Nadal won his only Australian Open title in 2009. He defeated Swiss ace Roger Federer 7-5, 3-6, 7-6(3), 3-6, 6-2 in an epic finale battle. The former became the first Spanish player to win the Australian Open. It was also the first hard-court Grand Slam where Nadal reached the final. Notably, Nadal won his first five matches without dropping a set.
Information
Second-longest match in the Australian Open history
Nadal beat compatriot Fernando Verdasco 6-7(1), 6-4, 7-6(2), 6-7(1), 6-4 in the semi-finals of the 2009 Australian Open. The match ran for five hours and 14 minutes, making it the second-longest match in the Australian Open history.
Numbers
Nadal is 69-15 at the Australian Open
Nadal has a win-loss record of 69-15 at the Australian Open (win percentage of 82). He has won the title only once in 16 attempts. The Spaniard has finished as the runner-up as many as four times (2012, 2014, 2017, and 2019). In 2021, he reached the quarter-finals. Stefanos Tsitsipas stunned Nadal 3-6, 2-6, 7-6(4), 6-4, 7-5 after over four hours.
Djokovic
Nadal vs Djokovic: Key stats in Australian Open
Nadal and Djokovic have one of the biggest rivalries in tennis history. The Serbian has a 2-0 lead over Nadal at the Australian Open. In 2012, Djokovic beat Nadal 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7(5), 7-5 to win the tournament. The final lasted five hours and 53 minutes (the longest major final). In 2019, Djokovic once again defeated Nadal 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 to win this Slam.
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Nadal can enter the record books next year
Earlier this year, Djokovic became the first man in the Open Era to win all four Grand Slams twice. Nadal can join Djokovic by winning the Australian Open next year. The Spaniard has two Wimbledon, four US Open, and a record 13 French Open titles.