Rafael Nadal’s history-making Australian Open win: key questions

The GOAT debate and what comes next.

Rafael Nadal wrote a new chapter in this extraordinary era of men’s tennis by becoming the first of the ‘big three’ to win a 21st grand slam singles title.

By beating Daniil Medvedev over five gruelling sets at the Australian Open, the Spaniard moved ahead of Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic at the top of the all-time list.

Here, the PA news agency answers the key questions around the triumph and what comes next.

How surprising was this?

Rafael Nadal shows his disbelief after winning the Australian Open title (Mark Baker/AP)

Is Nadal now the GOAT?

Men’s grand slam singles champions. Infographic PA Graphics. An editable version of this graphic is available if required. Please contact graphics@pamediagroup.com.

What difference did Djokovic’s absence make?

Novak Djokovic was deported from Australia (Darko Bandic/AP)

What next for Nadal?

This incredible feat can surely only boost the 35-year-old for the season ahead and the years to come. He proved he can still physically match and better players a decade his junior and he will want to regain the French Open title from Djokovic and win a 14th crown in Paris. If he could reach 22 with the others still on 20, it would be a significant gap.

And how about Djokovic?

That will be the key question in tennis over the next few months. If restrictions stay the same and he continues to refuse to be vaccinated against Covid-19, then he will find his options limited. As it stands, he is unlikely to be able to play the big ATP tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami as well as the French Open. There is a realistic scenario whereby Wimbledon is his next major tournament, although the situation could change significantly in the coming months. Federer, meanwhile, continues to recover from knee surgery.