Thanks for following my coverage throughout the 2022 Australian Open! Still a Steve Flink interview and a Mailbag to come. If you enjoy the content, please consider becoming a member for $2 per month. Appreciate you all!
Did everyone forgets that Nadal was not supported by the crowd when he was facing against Federer in his earlier career. But he never once complained about it.
2:45 not to mention, with all of that, Nadal also had a heat stroke in the QFs, lost 9 pounds from sweat alone, blew a 2 set lead, but recovered to win in a fifth set. How he did all this, I’ll never understand.
@@BazookaIke Nadal after second set fresh like a daisy he took his bag with hiim to the locker room to change after that no problems you make your own conclusions
@@writer684 For sure, we all know who the true doper is. One who mysteriously inhales from a bottle when he’s losing, and suddenly beats the opponent, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2, after being down 2 sets. 😂
I think Medvedev is clearly right now the best of the young guns on tour. I admire his tenacity, resolve and development from a player that wasn't really all that touted. With that being said, when it comes to crowds, he doesn't endear himself to fans when he calls them "Low IQ", or screams at the umpire, etc. Fans can root for whoever they want and you have no control over that. But he shoots himself in the foot often by actively doing things that are only going to irritate them. He then gets irked when he doesn't get the praise. Nadal spent much of the first few years against Roger getting a similar treatment. Maybe not as extreme, but it was very clear where a majority of fans loyalties were at that point. And up until a few years ago, Nadal's reception at Roland Garros had been slightly icy. Respect for sure but it took him not winning for a couple of years and getting his 10th for them to finally embrace him. The point is that you can't control the crowd and who they root for. They will eventually support you but if you antagonize them, they will withhold that respect. And when you are going up against a legend, understand that 90% are probably not going to be in your box.
İn US open Novak fans yelled as Danill served for match at 5-3 and double faulted losing the game eventually. They tried again at 5-4 as he served but this time prevailed after double faulting! That was criminal compared to AO crowd.
@@als5482 Yeah they did unveil a statue but when Nadal was beating Federer every year, the Parisian crowd (who loves Federer) wasn't exactly thrilled about it. Early in his career he was seen as the guy stopping Federer from getting the career slam and given how much they were behind Fed, that made sense. There was also the issue that from 2005-2014 he only lost once in '09. Maybe a little ho-hum. After he didn't in there for a couple of years it seemed like they really warmed up to him in 2017 and they seem to finally respect and love him.
@@als5482 lol learn your history xD The Parisian crowd didn't let Nadal play as he was winning against Paul Henri-Mathieu in 2005. It resulted in a 5 minute stoppage for the crowd to quieten down. The French crowd was mostly pro-Federer till 2008. Nadal earned that respect and understood why they were rooting for Federer. Medvedev needs to understand that one day he'll get the same support as well. And when he goes up against Rafa or Novak the crowd will be against him whether he likes it or not
Rafa is my favourite player, I actually watch tennis because of him, yesterday at beginning of the third set, I was about to turn off the tv and go to sleep, but thank God I did not. he is a special person with a huge fighting heart!!! GOAT
I'm exactly the same, I'm not interested in tennis unless he is playing/winning. It's weird because I'm not a die hard fan of any other person/team in sport, but rafa is different...
USO 2013 Final, 3rd set, 4-4 0-40 to Djokovic. Nadal saves them and wins the set and the final AO 2022 Final, 3rd set, 2-3 0-40 to Medvedev. Nadal saves them and wins the set and eventually the final. Both times he was looking into the abyss and about to fall in, but fought back point by point and won. This is a gift of a lions heart and a mind of steel, it cannot be taught and why the man is an icon.
Great analysis Gill. One of the things that changed in the final 2 sets is the way Nadal was hitting backhand winners down the line because Medvedev was going persistently to his backhand. At that point, Medvedev became rattled and was forced to go to Nadal forehand more and was doubly punished. Those backhand winners is another weapon that Nadal could have used against Novak in the last French. But he needs to keep that up, and he could be even more dangerous in future slams.
Biggest major win of Nadals career considering he came from two sets to love down to gain his record 21st GS at his "worst" major, having COVID, the long injury layoff. So many ppl were saying Nadal couldn't hang with Medvedev physically but it was Medvedev calling for the trainer. I'm just happy nadal finally has his second aussie open, he's been unlucky at this major. Respect to Medvedev. He's the one next Gen player I fear the most and I'll be cheering for him if rafa goes out in future majors
I personally think that Carlos Alcaraz will emerge over the next few years if he can keep from being injured. But otherwise I agree - once Medvedev stops getting distracted by the crowd or the chair person or rattled by other things that are the small differences in these tough close matches.
@@nestaagyei681 AZ record against top 10 in slams validates and supports your mistrust of Sasha on the biggest stage. He has a 0-11 losing record when playing against plays ranked in top 10 in slams, he is also bad when playing against top 20 ranked players as well. AZ performs well in M1000 but is horrendous when facing topp 20 players at slams, especially those in top 10
I just LOVE the way he did it! He was nobody's (realistic) pick for this final. Everyone, including me, was saying he wouldn't physically make it past 3 or 4 sets but he carried himself over the line by sheer willpower and made Medvedev look the more tired. Just incredible.
@@freemangriffin4953 I wish I had your optimism! He could have easily lost to Shapovalov in that 5th set with heat stroke, so I had no clue how he'd hold out in the final!
@@abbiem5357 The way Rafa rebounded for the semi made me think he'd be ready for the final, but I didn't expect him to outlast Daniil in a grueling 5-setter. He really did leave it all on the court in an amazing performance.
I guess it is really about WHO WANTS IT MORE? And Nadal wanted it more. Daniil gave into the crowd. Rafa has faced the same type of treatment v Federer in his career. But he doesn't buckle. If anything, Daniil needs a sports psychologist to toughen him up. My money was on Nadal the whole time. Regardless of being 2 sets down. This was important to him and that is what powered him over the finish line.
You know Rafa is tired when he doesn't even play some balls on Medvedev's serve, I think his ability to push through fatigue and embrace suffering is above everyone else's, and it's probably his most valuable skill, and he has plenty of those. I also believe it's a miracle he got through this match with a 2nd serve, because his 1st serve really let him down to a level never seen before. It could have made his life a lot easier, with some free points, maybe could have won in 3 or 4 sets, because he was playing really well otherwise.
Nadal should have won this championship in 4 sets. Those east points and nerves cost Nadal the second set after being up huge. Glad he was able to pul it out in 5, but it should’ve been done after 4.
Remember this score. (2-6, 6-7, 2-3, 0-40) That moment where Rafa decided I'm not going to lose to a machine & deny myself a shot at history! 👑🐐 Greatest epic comeback of the modern era in my book. Not that i needed any confirmation. Tonight he proved once again that in suffering there is victory.
Would make for a great T shirt. The score line (2-6, 6-7, 2-3 0-40) plus "In Suffering There is Victory"... Wear it to the gym or anywhere. Whaddya think?
Still am flabbergasted by witnessing Rafa's unmatched fight and willpower in not letting go of #21, regardless of appearing down and out. Congrats to Nadal on winning his 2nd AO and career slam with the grit and determination we've come to expect, and a lot more of each as things turned out.
Me too! For the first time ever I didn’t even watch because I was so sure he would lose, and I didn’t want to see that happen. I followed the scores online and that was bad enough to put myself through haha
@@shanewall9092 I got lucky- I didn't watch the first 2.5 hours, thinking I'd just wait to see what happened and keep my sanity, but a couple reply comments stating Rafa was in deep trouble led me to check it out. At 0-40 in the 3rd I figured it was over, but I kept hoping for Nadal to just get one more point, and then watched raptly as things started happening. Glad I witnessed the last three hours live, for sure.
Indomitable Rafael Nadal Indomitable, incessant, inspiring Nadal, a Force of Nature Doubles his efforts when down, hitting Outlandish shots from impossible spots Medvedev the latest to be left sitting In awe and shock at The warrior will And calm nerve of the Balearic Bull’s Laser-like forehands Explosive topspins, and exquisite drop shots Radiant in victory at another Grand Slam Always humble, win or lose Forever the passion, no? Vamos! Accepting highs and lows with unerring Equanimity and Love for the battle and the suffering Now standing Atop the pinnacle of his sport Doubts still driving his quest for betterment Always respectful, grateful, hungry for the next battle Love all! Padraic Slater
A brilliant analysis which I thoroughly enjoyed. It was engaging, clear and easy to follow. Daniil would benefit from what you had to say. I've been Rafa fan for such a long time and, to be honest, I turned off the TV at the end of the second set and just followed the score on my phone, because I didn't want to witness Rafa having another AO heartbreak. I tuned in again when he broke in the 4th.... Truly astounding, like a phoenix rising from the ashes! It was lovely to see Rafa so excited and amazed at capturing his 21st title.
Great analysis gill. His win was beyond belief. I'm still savoring his win and it's only after listening to his interview I realize how important this was to him, tempered by his sobering comment that while he would try his best to be back next year nothing was certain considering how quickly things change. I do hope he continues to beef up his serve and concentrate on first strike tennis though it's astonishing he won more 9+ rallies than Daniil. His down the line forehand caught fire in the 5th set. It opened up the court right away allowing Rafa to attack the net but it's also astonishing Rafa won more 9+ shot rallies than Daniil over the match but Daniil put tremendous pressure on his serve based on the 0-4 shot stats overall
What an epic match!!! Huge congrats to Rafa! Well deserved! What I don’t understand though about Daniil…what was he expecting? A supportive crowd after 2 weeks of him losing his mind and having fits???This is not about nationality as he eluded to. Safin for instance was always a crowd favorite. But that needs to be earned.
Calling the crowd names such as "idiots" is not a good idea if you want crowd support. I love Medvedev but he needs to work on this mental part of his game.
@@freemangriffin4953 I agree! I was routing for Rafa, and I am simply flabbergasted how he managed to pull this final rabbit out of his old hat. But am also a fan of Medvedev. He is a very interesting and intelligent guy, and I love his eloquent pressers. But I really think he is wrong with this idea that the crowd doesn't like Russians! The crowd may not like Putin - for very good reasons. But most tennis fans also disliked Trump - also for very good reasons - but they didn't hate American players. Tennis fans aren't like soccer fans, and the nationality of a player is only important if a player is in his own country. Because of Ash Barty and the Special Ks the Aussies had a blast this year. Btw, it's also complete bullsh.t that Djokovic is disliked by many tennis fans because he is from Serbia! There are many more valid reasons for not liking Novak! That said, the Australian crowd wasn't exactly fair this year! Disrupting the serving player is the height of bad manners. I think that Nick Kyrgios introduced this boorishness this year or at least encouraged it! I have nothing against Kyrgios, who actually has a very complex and interesting personality, but I think that the umpires should try to stop this nonsense. Medvedev however needs to develop a thicker skin! As has been said here before, Rafa is an acquired taste for the French spectators, and for many years he wasn't the crowd favorite at all. And I have the suspicion that even after all these years the French do not exactly love him. But they learned to respect him as an inevitable force of nature whose triumphant return each year marks the beginning of summer 😉 It is astonishing that Rafa won all his 13 FO trophies in front of an audience which was either indifferent or openly hostile. The French made it very clear that they loved Federer. But Rafa never had a problem with this and simply concentrated on playing tennis. Medvedev should learn to do the same. He should have known that the crowd would be firmly behind Rafa from the get-go. After Novak's deportation Rafa was the one who could supply the AO with it's glorious historical moment after all, and the Aussies respect and love Rafa. When he mounted his spectacular comeback after losging the first two sets, the crowd was firmly behind him. Medvedev needs some mental coaching. But I firmly believe that he will win more slams. Since the US Open 2019 he has become a very reliable player who is able to hang on in difficult matches, and he is now able to challenge Rafa and Novak in a big way. Unlike some of the other young guns - like Zverev for example - Medvedev has also managed to be very successful at the slams. He has been in four slam finals since the US Open 2019, and he won his maiden slam last year in NY easily in three, while losing two of his finals in five sets. That's not too shabby if we consider that his opponents in all four finals were Novak and Rafa, the two current GOATs! Yesterday Medvedev was for the first time the prohibitive favorite, and he didn't disappoint. It was bad luck for Medvedev that his opponent was hellbent on winning this thing. Rafa knew of course that this match was probably his very last chance to get a second AO title and complete a double career slam. Who knows in what kind of shape his battered body will be next year?
The first two sets reminded me of when Rafa plays Novak. The heavy forehand into the backhand just didn't bother Medvedev at all. Rafa was using the slice a lot to try to change the dynamic of the point, but Medvedev was just a backboard. Also, Rafa's first serve percentage in the first two sets was just abysmal. I know that even if the first serve percentage was higher, the balls were probably coming back, since Medvedev is a great returner with his return position, but it may have allowed Rafa to go offensive earlier with the first ball. His first serve really increased, especially in sets 3 and 5, and I think that really helped Rafa a lot. With that being said, what a legendary comeback from a legendary player.
Apart from physicality 4th hour onwards, Nadal's play, groundstrokes and first serves also improved significantly, which were low in first two sets...it was not just Medvedev's lack of physicality after 4 hours because of which Nadal won....Nadal raised his game more than Medvedev went down... Nadal deserves lot of credit
@@jonasbertilbellander That break-back at the end of the 5th at 5-all was colossal. If I was on the SS Poseidon on New Year's and a tidal wave hit, I think single-handedly Nadal could turn the ship right-side up again, such is his willpower in dangerous situations.
Rafas 1st serve % was accordingly stats ; 1 50 % 2 50 % 3 82 % 4 50 % 5 69 % Due to not so many matches lately for Rafa. He use to lay on 70. With higher %in the 2nd set Rafa had won it Eaasy!!!! 🏆🏆🏆🏆🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇🏆🏆🏆🏆🥇🥇🏆🏆🏆😄😄😄😄😆😆🏆🏆🏆♥️♥️♥️🏆🏆
Thanks for the great analysis! As a Nadal fan, I can only agree 100%. This is certainly his greatest comeback in a match and probably his greatest comeback from injury. I still can't believe it. Also, I just wanna say, your content is amazing, keep up the great work. I've been following you for several years now and I remember when you still had like 500 followers, thinking you deserved so many more. And now it's 13K. Well deserved!
Hi Gill, I tend to agree with your technical comments. However, this time I think you have not given enough credit to Nadal’s backhand on the second part of the match. For me, it was THE major factor altogether with Nadal’s will to go the extra mile. It would be interesting to analyze % of BH slices on 1st/2nd sets vs the rest of the match.
His down the line forehand caught fire in the 5th set. It opened up the court right away allowing Rafa to attack the net but it's also astonishing Rafa won more 9+ shot rallies than Daniil over the match but Daniil put tremendous pressure on his serve based on the 0-4 shot stats overall
Absolutely this. It was Nadal's backhand down the line winners in the 2nd part of the match that played a major role because Medvedev continuously went there and was punished bigly.
What a performance from Nadal, securing possibly the most important title in his career and completing his greatest ever comeback in a match. I am a Nadal fan and I am once again in awe of his tenacity, even when the nerves of this moment are quite clearly getting to him.
Great analysis of the game. I was at the game and the atmosphere was electric. In regards to the crowd, they were for Rafa winning. The crowd I think would have rewarded any point that Rafa won no matter who he was playing as he was going for 21
I'm watching the full replay on the AO channel (so awesome they did this) and I Still CAN'T BELIEVE IT! In fact I'm nervous just watching the replay because it feels like a dream. Literally Rafa's greatest comeback of all time with the most on the line and ALL of the pain and sorrow of losing 2012 2014 2017 AND 2019 AO's are dust in the wind. Vamos my friends, Vamos.
Agree- as Nadal fans, we can all relax a little now as he's finally reached the top again in Australia. Hoped every year he might get his second AO, but I didn't expect it to play out in such epic fashion in 2022. Truly a win and comeback for the ages, providing a blueprint of Rafael Nadal as the greatest fighter tennis has ever known- vamos!
Great breakdown. Great way to memorialize this match. I believe that this is up there with the most most memorable and career defining matches we’ve ever seen. Agassi/Medvedev in 1999 has eerie similarities with this one. Down to the opponents last name. That kind of comeback doesn’t really happen. I know Djokovic came back at Roland Garros last year, but it didn’t feel like it was a hopeless situation. You kind of expected Djokovic to come back. Rafa’s injury history and the form of his opponent made the situation seem kind of hopeless. I was never shocked by a Nadal victory before this match.
Nadal was lucky that it wasn't Djokovic he was playing in the final. Rest assured Nadal was the happiest tennis player on the planet when Djokovic lost his 10th Australian to a tyranical Australian government official !
Great analysis! The most incredible thing about this win, or at least how I felt it during the match, was how hard Rafa struggled to win the 2nd set (the 5-3 game was insane) and still Medvedev was able to pull it out. How he forgave himself when he was down and kept fighting, finding solutions and ultimately believing he could come back. That was truly out of this world and special! And very well deserved for him to finally capture his 2nd AO after more than a decade and those other finals he lost.
Somewhere between the talk of big 3, the story of Nadal Federer rivalry has faded. This is such a huge moment in Nadal's career to finally finally get one over Roger. It hasnt quite sunk in yet.
Unbelievable! I'm just in awe of what has transpired! Like many others I didn't have Nadal getting past the quarters. let alone the final! Coming back from two sets to love is just incredible! This proves that any obstacles, adversities, can be overcome! And Rafa was questioning whether could he ever play again? Truly remarkable feat. And Medvedev, he became very close to his own history. He was amazing himself! If the consistency remains, he'll be a regular at the grand slam finals winning more... I did watch his press conference. Very disturbing that he feels that way. I agree that the crowds were awful. Is it entirely his fault? No I do not think so. However it did not help yelling at the chair umpires and making comments while on court regarding his opponents. I hope Daniil has a long reflection and keep striving. What an Australian Open! Congrats to Rafael Nadal with the record-breaking 21st Grand Slam 🏆!
How about Rafa vs. Fed at the Wimby 2008 final ? Rafa beat Fed on his best surface and mentally outplayed him. The turning point as far as Rafa becoming superior to Fed.
@Ian Novak It is considered worldwide the greatest tennis match ever. Surely Federe flight har don his favorite surface, evened the match, and eve saved a match point. Yet Rafa didn't choke et al. He fought hard he won the match at 9-7 in the fifth. That shows his great endurance, never-say-die attitude. The point is that after almost winning Wimbledon in 2006 and 2007, Rafa succeeded to finally to solve the Federer riddle on grass, and in the process became # 1 and started beating Fed on hardcourt Slams as well.
@Ian Novak I think the OP was referring to the greatest physical and mental performance of all time by a tennis player. Rafa's comeback from 2 sets down against a player that currently is the best hardcourter was part of that performance. The other part was Rafa's fighting spirit, tactics and end game in the 5th set.
Well Gill, he did it !!!! My Rafa won, I tell you there were many ups and downs and tears during that match! At one point I even turned it off, the nerves I had, I was probably more nervous than Rafa. Haha during that second set Rafa should have closed it out and unfortunately went to a tiebreak and I knew Dani is so solid on serve compared to Rafa I just had a huge feeling Dani was going win the tiebreak and then Rafa finds himself down 2 sets to love. Honestly in my heart I knew if anyone could come back Rafa could. Anyway I was crying when he won it. It was so emotional I have been a fan of his ever since he joined the tour, originally I was a Andy Roddick fan and then one day my mum showed me this young Spanish guy he had the long hair, long pants the tank top, amazing young, up and coming player and that was it, I had fallen in love. Anyway what a match, what a battle from Rafa and Dani just unbelievable. I said Rafa 3-1, ended up being Rafa 3-2. I was close with prediction eh? 😉 We love your channel will continue to watch and support it Gill and just want to say personally I think you should be on commentating or on Eurosport in the Cube with matts wilander. Love your videos.
One factor that led Medvedev to use lots of drop shots: he wanted to make Nadal run. Medvedev was convinced, as were we all, that he would have superior stamina over Nadal. Medvedev was attempting to break Nadal physically, and continued with the flawed strategy even after it became clear that it was Medvedev who was suffering more than Nadal. Medvedev actually said in his press conference after the game that the only thing he said to Nadal when shaking hands at the net after the final point was: "Are you even tired?"
I so wanted Nadal to win AO open after 2012, 2014 & 2017 heartbearks. 2012 & 2017 were amazing 5 setters where he could have won. 2014 was the one where he got back injury during the finals against Wawarinka
That loss to Wawrinka remains the only Grand Slam loss to a player not one of the Big 3 players! He is now 21-8, the highest percentage of any of the Big 3.
Yes. This victory takes away from of the sting from those heartbreak losses. It's extra sweet because it was done on this court, a fast hard court against arguably the best current hard court player.
@@sahilvarma9553 Just did a Google search and it appears to be the case according to Tennis Warehouse, so score yet another record for Rafa. Serena went 11 years between French Open titles (2002, then 2013) and Ken Rosewall had bigger gaps, but in each case his first title pre-dated the Open Era (16 years between AO titles- 1955-1971; 15 years between French Open titles- 1953-1968; and 14 years between U.S. Open titles- 1956-1970).
The biggest mystery of Nadal/ Djokovic is this supernatural energy stores they have as in from complete exhaustion they go into full energy mode. It’s like a video game, getting an extra life. None of the other players on tour have this capacity, not even Federer. Nadal looked totally toast after the first few games of the match, how did he go on to play more than 4 hours after that??
Nadal was 100% exhausted for probably most of this match. These physical rallies and all would’ve drained him within 2 hours in any other match. But he wanted this win so badly. He was willing to suffer hard on the court. It was really pure willpower. He also was able to play more offensively than Medvedev which is huge for energy conservation.
With the qualities he brings in to this match. Truly deserved this win. I sincerely Congrats to Nadal, with lots of admiration. What a match! What a win!
Exactly what i was expecting ,exactly as i predicted.. Nadal in 5 sets.. Nadal giving 150% of his capabilities to win this AO.. Absolutely amazing .. So proud.. Well done Rafa.. P.s the only thing i expected from Nadal but didnt see it that much was playing Medvedev with short slices and slices in general with more attacking the net.. Nadal won so many points off his slice and short slice..
I told you that these guys are pretenders compared to kings of the game like Nadal. Was on crutches a few months ago, had covid last month and he still wins in a 5 half hour match. Goat signed and sealed
One of your best analyses I have had the pleasure to hear and see and your clarifying your points with demos was so good that I will have to view it again to fully understand
@@vladimirpujic4087 to be honest and regardless which player we support .. Novak confronted Nadal in FO 2021 and managed to beat him and end up winning the trophy and claimed his double career grand slams. while Nadal seized Novak's absence ( deportation ) and end up winning the trophy and claimed his double career grand slam . big difference.
@@vladimirpujic4087 keep crying Nadal didn't play US open or Wimbledon 2021 either Discount Novak's Roland Garros 2016 too because he only won because Nadal was injured And Medvedev is the best hard court player now not Novak Medvedev destroyed him at Us open Enjoy with friends and family 👍🙏☺️
During Medvedev's on court interview after his semi final victory, he was boasting about how he would have extra energy if the match against Rafa went to a fifth set. Gill, that talk backfired and now I can see from your analysis why.
Mad respect for holding a seemingly breakless 45 minute vid by yourself like that and staying so eloquent throughout. Can’t wait for the usual Flink conversation, I bet he’s blown away
nobody going to mention that nadal started slicing to meddy's forehand instead of backhand starting in the 2nd set and meddy started buggy whipping all of his forehands regardless of whether he needed to or not?
I think it was great there wasn't a lot of talk about #21 until the final. Rafa has waited so long for this second AO title, and it has to be very satisfying for him to finally have another AO trophy, completing his second career slam in the process.
I have been watching tennis forever and used to play at the college level - I learn so much from Gill's analysis! He is my favorite analyst by far online!
I think everything changed after the 40-shot rally. That exchange seemed to push Medvedev into physical survival mode. And then everything Gill talks about comes into play: Suddenly Medvedev needed to abandon Plan A and try to shorten points.
What an amazing analysis, the like of which I would never expect from anyone else!!!! Real fun to watch this video, even more fun than the match itself!!! Gill, where do you go from here? Cheers to your excellence from Seoul, South Korea!!!
it was like seeing some rocky movie, where SS gets punched hard and he's bleeding all over, but he asks the other guy: is this all you've got? ok, let me show you now what I've got.
Thank you Gill, doing the AO coverage and including WTA previews, Men’s final preview you were spot on what Nadal should do, it was so late in Australia by the time they finished, didn’t know who going to be the winner until the last ball over the net, and we are very proud of our Ash,
Gill, RE “physical shift,” agree about the importance of weather conditions. And excellent for you noting that (because I have not heard any other commentator / reporter mention it). At the start of the match the conditions on court were warm and humid. Nadal sweated profusely in the first two sets, which may have affected his racket grip and led to some of the errors. Physically, Nadal appeared quite stressed (agree, similar to the Shapovalov match). Then, as the night wore on, the temperature and humidity decreased. And the cooler, dryer air seemed to help Nadal regain his energy.
It is fitting Rafa won his second Australian open where he has suffered his most heartbreaks (4 final losses) coming back from a two sets deficit just like Novak did the same at the French last year (4 final losses but not in Rafa's position of losing leads in the 5th set)
Who can comeback from foot surgery 4 months later, being out of shape from lack of practice, can’t breathe because of COVID, and win on his hardest surface against the worlds best hard court player??? GOATdal only GOATdal!!! I don’t want to hear you Chokosquirrels say Goatkovic unless you add of choke or defaulting or Deportovicing or quitting or crying or abusing ball kids and lines women!!! There is only one GOATdal. Your guy is just the defaultovic who covers the void for GOATdal when he’s injured. GOATdal baby!!! GOATdal!!!
Brilliant breakdown as usual. Maybe more emphasis on the fact that air temperatures in Melbourne suddenly dropped 7 degrees centigrade during the third set thereby helping Nadal's game and endurance. Had temperatures dropped sooner he may have won in 4!
No doubt in my mind that Medvedev will go on to win more slams! Amazing player, what happen to him in the final of the Aussie open? Was it fatigue? Did the crowd get to him? Was it mentality? Rafa came back strong started to play better, the first set from Rafa was poor and he was simply being outplayed by Dani. All I know is more slams in med future. Congrats to both on an amazing final that I will never forget.
"Nobody has the depth on return to neutralize Nadal's serve in the first two sets except for Daniil"....Gill, Nadal was playing with a 50% first serve percentage!!! Of course it's easier to return if the rival is constantly playing with 2nd serves!!
Gill's analysis is on point. Patrick Mouratoglou released a short video 2 days ago. But we heard it from Gill first. Patrick Mouratoglou's video title: 2022 Australian Open Final Match Analysis: Nadal vs Medvedev
Rafa is a traditional guy. He believes in people and he will keep them almost for ever with him. It's been 6 years since Carlos Moya is working with him. Carlos Moya himself is more of a Clay Specialist. And they both are still able to produce good results on hard. I wish Nadal try adding grass court specialists into his team like how Federer brought Stefan Edberg, Djocovic brought Becker and ivanisevic into their teams. We all know how powerful Federer backhand became after Lubicic joined his team. I believe Nadal still has so much potential to tap. And great players could certainly help him in that. He should seriously consider this.
Gill you need a poster behind you you should get a frame where you can put a poster of the Match your talking about would look cool and very nice. and also your great at what you do
The main difference is this was a 5 set match. In 5 sets your endurance matters more and there is a difference between the kind of muscle you build for doing well in 3 sets vs 5 sets (fast twitch vs slow twitch muscles) One additional observation no one talks about is how Nadal and even Djokovic use the first few rounds to prepare for crunch time situations and big matches against stronger opponents. One thing I noticed during the last two matches of Nadal is it appeared he changed strategy often even when he was leading against Shapo and Berettini 2-0 up. Against Shapo and especially Berettini after initially targeting their backhand, he started feeding balls to their forehand. The change in strategy let his opponents back into his match and Nadal always found a way to win the end. I think thats a lesson the younger generation like Medvedev need to learn from Nadal, Djokovic . They are always trying out different stratagies in real match situations even if it means lengthening some of their earlier round matches. This prepares them for crunch situations like a final when they know you need multiple plans-> plan A, plan B etc. This is the greatest comeback in history of tennis and another feather in Nadal's cap and claim to greatness
As always an incredible match review. Your analysis is preceptive and enlightening and adds pleasure to the celebration of this historic sporting event. Your psychological analysis, mixed with match stats and consideration of all aspects of the game flies far above all the simple comments that Med got tired. To the question - "How on earth did Rafa make a comeback?" - you gave a solid well-balanced answer.
Yes, and Nadal provided Gill the answer to the question he kept asking all tournament concerning if Rafa had the ability to prevail in a long match after a lengthy layoff. Unbelievable result!
The thing about the crowd is that Meddy always likes to say he wants to be the villain, and it’s almost like he forgets that no one likes the villain. His actions on court are not reflective of a player that people will root for. One of the main reasons that I can never root for Djokovic myself. I hate how he breaks racquets and how he yells at ball kids sometimes. I hate how Shapo continually barks at his box and makes excuses. There’s a reason why Roger, Rafa, Monfils, etc. are so loved. Roger definitely has had his moments, but the other two are pretty humble and stable. It’s nice to know that top players can be intense and competitive, and also be humble and respectful. (Just my opinion. Don’t feel the need to comment if you disagree, I really do not care.)
Wow! Superb analysis!! Amazing breakdown of this spectacular final. Conclusion: Nadal is Genius. The GOAT discussion is irrelevant. Nadal ei the Mental Master
For the menatal processing maybe Medvedev can talk to Ivan Lendl who was never loved by the crowd. Lendl said he didn't care about the crowd either way: If the cheer for me I will play harder, if they are against me I'll play harder to show them. Perfect guy to advise.
Personally Nadal is one of the two goats of tennis with Federer. Although Novak is also up there, personally I believe he has too many things going his way and caught Federer and Nadal after their prime time was declining. Because when both where in their major prime, Novak never came close to their game. So I put Novak one step behind Nadal and Federer. Again, that's my opinion and doesn't have to be yours. But I must say the following. There is something that nobody comes close to Nadal, not even the other tennis goat Federer... Nadal's strong mentality. Nadal might be the athlete with the best mental strength ever of any sport probably and certainly of tennis at least. That man's mental strength is beyond comprehension and not Federer,not Novak or any tennis players beat him in that.
@Gill You nailed the analysis 100% here. I especially appreciated what you said about Medvedev not following up the attack. There were so many instances where Medvedev would establish court advantage with a serve or a strong backhand and get a shorter return, but he would not look to finish the point. I think that was a huge reason for why he lost and probably should be a core focus of his development as a player going forward.
For an ardent albeit casual tennis fan, this analysis was so in-depth and entertaining. The picture study was exactly what I looked forward to … how Meddy struggles with seemingly simple finishing tactics really baffled me as a watcher. I also felt sad for Daniil at the end of his presser … he’s a bit of an instigator but a good honest guy … doesn’t have the European/Western polish but I think he’s actually an amazing dude.
Thank you for saying that Daniil earned the way the crowd behaved towards him; you can’t be disrespectful, call the crowd idiots and then expect their support.
Wow, what an incredible match! Despite not going the way I wished it had, I do not regret staying up and witnessing one the greatest matches ever. After the first two sets, I thought Nadal was done and dusted given how much he put into that second set and the calibur of opponent which he was facing. Medvedev had his chances and probably should have won the third set, but he made a couple of questionable choices in that 0-40 game. Med only has himself to blame. Moreover, the Russian was horrible at the net and his inability to finish off points really showed. From mid 3rd set, he was losing almost everything at net. I kept wondering why he kept going to drop shots when it was clearly not working for him.This is why I don't want to hear any of that bs that Medvedev is a better hardcourt player than Djokovic. Watch the 2019 AO Final and you will see the big difference to their approach and clear superiority of Novak. That all being said, Medvedev played a great tournament and will learn from this. He will be back and will surely win more slams. Congrats to Nadal for pulling off one of the greatest comebacks ever. Nadal fans should be very optimistic for Roland Garros, given that the Spaniards health holds up.
@Jan parchanski Agreed that Medvedev played too much as a pusher and needs to learn how to finish off points. That all being said, Medvedev had his chances to close the match in straight sets, as well as numerous break point opportunities throughout the match. Nadal was just more clutch and Medvedev was horrible at the net in key moments.
So much for all these people who said Nadal will never have a chance against Medvedev on hard courts. Glad he shut all the disrespect up. This was peak Medvedev vs Nadal coming off an injury and Covid, with very little practice and a heat stroke in the QFs. In a grand slam final!
@@SJ-di5zu It cant be peak Medvedev if he only performed on his top level for 2 and a half sets in a 5 sets match, he couldve and should have won in 3, that sixth game in the match where he had 3 winnable BPs was the turning point, he really needs to work on his mental game, he cant take time between games talking to the umpire over and over after saying in post game interview ( vs Tsitsipas ) that he made the mistake doing that. He is still 25 so he will be fine, but this L will hurt him way more than any other in his career.
@@jacobschmidt2709 well, it doesn't help that he doesn't naturally have a big groundstroke on either wing. As Gill pointed out, he has problems generating pace off his groundstrokes.
The reason I predicted Rafa would win had to do with Medvedev's losses - they always happen when he gets distracted and sweats the small stuff and Rafa rarely ever sweats the small stuff. Medvedev needs to learn how to let go of the distractions and stay focused on his tennis. I knew it would be a close match but ultimately I felt that Rafa would prevail. I thought it would be 4 sets but maybe 5 and that is how it turned out. Rafa is the best problem solver in men's tennis history. He also has the Buddhist perspective of staying in the moment. This Australian Open was a great tournament! So happy for Rafa on GS #21!
I used 2 call Nadal GCompetitorOAT now after this enormous achievement against all odds, I'm honoured I can call him GOAT. PS Sadly for me this is d first comment since my sweet mum passed away ( January 26th :'-/ ) she loved Rafa also bcuz he was born June 3rd just like my poor father died in 1999. We used 2 watch this super champ on TV always enjoying and inspired by his huge love n' passion 4 d game. I always comment for fun but this one hasn't been easy for me ... anyway Thanq love ya :'-)
This episode is definitely one of my favorites (top 5 perhaps for MMA). There was a heck of a lot to unpack in this match and in ways I'm still processing it! Gill did a wonderful job here of taking one through the major swings in the match and helping understand why it swung one way or the other. I think Gill nails it here in so many ways. As an interesting aside, when discussing the sweat dripping off of Nadal and how it was really extreme in the 1st set it takes me back to the match in Rome against Schwartzman. I keep bringing that match up 🙂 but I honestly think there is some relevance because that is the other match where he was sweating to an extreme and there are parallels to how Nadal played in that match and how he looked in *only* the 1st set here. But, as Gill points out, the weather had changed by the 3rd set. Cahill noted the same on ESPN. I just found that small part of the discussion, even though there were MANY other more major points of the match, quite interesting. BTW, my top 3 MMA episodes to date : #1. Wimbledon VLOG #2. Gill Gross vs. Philip Farma #3. Gill w/ Steve Flink on US Open 2021.
Rafael Nadal what a champion he is, what a fighter, ultimate warrior not only in tennis but all sports put together. I couldn't believe he could believe that be can win after 2 sets down, 3 hours on clock,2-3 0-40 down, Medvedev choked at that moment and Nadal never looked back, he was always ahead after that game.. Nadal seized the Djokovic absence and again started the GOAT race, which is not over until all hangs their boot.
This was the first time ever that Medvedev had almost 8 hours of play combined from his previous two matches going into a final. With one close to just under 5 hours and the other a very physical four setter the first three sets. His legs started to go on him late in the third set. Combine that with the crowd and Rafa’s level going up after saving triple break point. You get what we saw.
"The crowd" my ass. Of course people rooted for Nadal, but it wasn't AT ALL a disrespecting, raucus crowd against Medvedev. Sorry, it wasn't a factor in this match.
I’m a Rafa fan. It was a factor. Meddy has to just play but it takes mental toughness to do that. US Open and Aussie final crowds were a disgrace. Spoken from someone who can’t stand when the Parisians are rude when Fed plays anyone. Is what it is.
Great analysis Gill 👍👍. I have a couple of points to add. 1) Medvedev’s speed of shots increased by 25K from/after the sixth game in the third(140 to 160 odd). I believe he was done in by the finish line pressure, it was his nerve and lack of emotional discipline that took the toll. All the juice he took to prevent cramps was only exposing him more. Something in me tells me he doesn’t like failing to break 0-40 games, his outburst against Tsitsipas started in similar fashion. 2) His slider out wide serve to Rafa’s backhand were replaced by down the line ones in the fifth and possibly fourth which were all read amazingly by Nadal. Credit to Rafa, not so much to Danil for lack of clarity in thought process. 3) Time on court being similar for both players as highlighted by most commentators is not entirely correct. Danil plays his points faster, Rafa considerably slower, and Danil runs more than Rafa. Hence 17 hours for Danil is actually couple of hours more than Rafa whose match play would be around 15 with all those longer breaks between points. I would disagree slightly on Medvedev’s net play abilities, I think he is not as bad as it turned out to be, it was his nerve again playing the spoilsport which resulted in tighter hands and bad decision making. Credit to Rafa nonetheless for excellent first point post return and serve which eventually made the difference.
Thanks for the excellent analysis!! Tennis is such a mental game! Imagine that Medvedev had broken that Rafa’s serve game when 2-3 in the third set. Probably now we would be talking about the Russian’s victory in straight sets. Only a few errors and the match changed completely.
Considering what was at stake with history, Nadal's condition and age, and being 0-2 down, this has to be one of the greatest comebacks in tennis history. Maybe the greatest.
Thanks for following my coverage throughout the 2022 Australian Open! Still a Steve Flink interview and a Mailbag to come. If you enjoy the content, please consider becoming a member for $2 per month. Appreciate you all!
Well done! Gill. You have done a great analysis of the matches and players.
U were wrong in prediction u owe an apology to goatdal
Awesome coverage Gill! You continue to make these analyses so enjoyable and easy to understand.
Great coverage and lots of interesting comeback points, very insightful!!!
Great. Can't wait for the Flink interview.
Rafa is the most inspiring tennis player over the last three decades. He is a mensch in the true sense of the word.
Did everyone forgets that Nadal was not supported by the crowd when he was facing against Federer in his earlier career. But he never once complained about it.
he is a mature man since day one
No they would never mention that bc they’re all Federer or Novak Stans 😆
2:45 not to mention, with all of that, Nadal also had a heat stroke in the QFs, lost 9 pounds from sweat alone, blew a 2 set lead, but recovered to win in a fifth set. How he did all this, I’ll never understand.
He’s got big balls. Needs a wheelbarrow to carry them. Known fact.
we all know how
@@writer684 you are confused with Novak, who is clearly a steroids user.
@@BazookaIke Nadal after second set fresh like a daisy he took his bag with hiim to the locker room to change after that no problems you make your own conclusions
@@writer684 For sure, we all know who the true doper is. One who mysteriously inhales from a bottle when he’s losing, and suddenly beats the opponent, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2, after being down 2 sets. 😂
I think Medvedev is clearly right now the best of the young guns on tour. I admire his tenacity, resolve and development from a player that wasn't really all that touted. With that being said, when it comes to crowds, he doesn't endear himself to fans when he calls them "Low IQ", or screams at the umpire, etc. Fans can root for whoever they want and you have no control over that. But he shoots himself in the foot often by actively doing things that are only going to irritate them. He then gets irked when he doesn't get the praise.
Nadal spent much of the first few years against Roger getting a similar treatment. Maybe not as extreme, but it was very clear where a majority of fans loyalties were at that point. And up until a few years ago, Nadal's reception at Roland Garros had been slightly icy. Respect for sure but it took him not winning for a couple of years and getting his 10th for them to finally embrace him.
The point is that you can't control the crowd and who they root for. They will eventually support you but if you antagonize them, they will withhold that respect. And when you are going up against a legend, understand that 90% are probably not going to be in your box.
Nadal's reception at RG was icy? wtf - they unveiled a statue to him while he is still playing
Medvedev too tall and lankey, wont be long when joints will suffer and so his game. Needs to build up muscle and net game.
İn US open Novak fans yelled as Danill served for match at 5-3 and double faulted losing the game eventually. They tried again at 5-4 as he served but this time prevailed after double faulting! That was criminal compared to AO crowd.
@@als5482 Yeah they did unveil a statue but when Nadal was beating Federer every year, the Parisian crowd (who loves Federer) wasn't exactly thrilled about it. Early in his career he was seen as the guy stopping Federer from getting the career slam and given how much they were behind Fed, that made sense. There was also the issue that from 2005-2014 he only lost once in '09. Maybe a little ho-hum. After he didn't in there for a couple of years it seemed like they really warmed up to him in 2017 and they seem to finally respect and love him.
@@als5482 lol learn your history xD
The Parisian crowd didn't let Nadal play as he was winning against Paul Henri-Mathieu in 2005. It resulted in a 5 minute stoppage for the crowd to quieten down. The French crowd was mostly pro-Federer till 2008. Nadal earned that respect and understood why they were rooting for Federer. Medvedev needs to understand that one day he'll get the same support as well. And when he goes up against Rafa or Novak the crowd will be against him whether he likes it or not
Rafa is my favourite player, I actually watch tennis because of him, yesterday at beginning of the third set, I was about to turn off the tv and go to sleep, but thank God I did not. he is a special person with a huge fighting heart!!! GOAT
Shame on u to not count on the greatest competator in sport.
@@chocosquirrel3319 and now I know better
I'm exactly the same, I'm not interested in tennis unless he is playing/winning. It's weird because I'm not a die hard fan of any other person/team in sport, but rafa is different...
USO 2013 Final, 3rd set, 4-4 0-40 to Djokovic. Nadal saves them and wins the set and the final
AO 2022 Final, 3rd set, 2-3 0-40 to Medvedev. Nadal saves them and wins the set and eventually the final.
Both times he was looking into the abyss and about to fall in, but fought back point by point and won. This is a gift of a lions heart and a mind of steel, it cannot be taught and why the man is an icon.
Love it.
Put the two scorelines on a TShirt
With "lions heart mind of steel."
@@joshuaj.2108 thanks 👍
Great analysis Gill.
One of the things that changed in the final 2 sets is the way Nadal was hitting backhand winners down the line because Medvedev was going persistently to his backhand. At that point, Medvedev became rattled and was forced to go to Nadal forehand more and was doubly punished.
Those backhand winners is another weapon that Nadal could have used against Novak in the last French.
But he needs to keep that up, and he could be even more dangerous in future slams.
Biggest major win of Nadals career considering he came from two sets to love down to gain his record 21st GS at his "worst" major, having COVID, the long injury layoff. So many ppl were saying Nadal couldn't hang with Medvedev physically but it was Medvedev calling for the trainer. I'm just happy nadal finally has his second aussie open, he's been unlucky at this major. Respect to Medvedev. He's the one next Gen player I fear the most and I'll be cheering for him if rafa goes out in future majors
Zverev is more of a matchup problem for Rafa than Medvedev.
I personally think that Carlos Alcaraz will emerge over the next few years if he can keep from being injured. But otherwise I agree - once Medvedev stops getting distracted by the crowd or the chair person or rattled by other things that are the small differences in these tough close matches.
@@geraldij Probably, but he leads that H2H by a decent margin. Zverev wouldn’t have beaten him here for sure
@@geraldij you have a point but I just don't trust zverev mentally in grand slams like I do Medvedev
@@nestaagyei681 AZ record against top 10 in slams validates and supports your mistrust of Sasha on the biggest stage. He has a 0-11 losing record when playing against plays ranked in top 10 in slams, he is also bad when playing against top 20 ranked players as well. AZ performs well in M1000 but is horrendous when facing topp 20 players at slams, especially those in top 10
I just LOVE the way he did it! He was nobody's (realistic) pick for this final. Everyone, including me, was saying he wouldn't physically make it past 3 or 4 sets but he carried himself over the line by sheer willpower and made Medvedev look the more tired. Just incredible.
After the third round I picked Nadal to win the tournament (:
@@freemangriffin4953 I wish I had your optimism! He could have easily lost to Shapovalov in that 5th set with heat stroke, so I had no clue how he'd hold out in the final!
@@abbiem5357 The way Rafa rebounded for the semi made me think he'd be ready for the final, but I didn't expect him to outlast Daniil in a grueling 5-setter. He really did leave it all on the court in an amazing performance.
I guess it is really about WHO WANTS IT MORE? And Nadal wanted it more. Daniil gave into the crowd. Rafa has faced the same type of treatment v Federer in his career. But he doesn't buckle. If anything, Daniil needs a sports psychologist to toughen him up. My money was on Nadal the whole time. Regardless of being 2 sets down. This was important to him and that is what powered him over the finish line.
Let me tell you again..
It's not over until nadal says it's over
You know Rafa is tired when he doesn't even play some balls on Medvedev's serve, I think his ability to push through fatigue and embrace suffering is above everyone else's, and it's probably his most valuable skill, and he has plenty of those.
I also believe it's a miracle he got through this match with a 2nd serve, because his 1st serve really let him down to a level never seen before. It could have made his life a lot easier, with some free points, maybe could have won in 3 or 4 sets, because he was playing really well otherwise.
Nadal should have won this championship in 4 sets. Those east points and nerves cost Nadal the second set after being up huge. Glad he was able to pul it out in 5, but it should’ve been done after 4.
Remember this score. (2-6, 6-7, 2-3, 0-40) That moment where Rafa decided I'm not going to lose to a machine & deny myself a shot at history! 👑🐐
Greatest epic comeback of the modern era in my book. Not that i needed any confirmation. Tonight he proved once again that in suffering there is victory.
Would make for a great T shirt. The score line (2-6, 6-7, 2-3 0-40) plus "In Suffering There is Victory"... Wear it to the gym or anywhere. Whaddya think?
Still am flabbergasted by witnessing Rafa's unmatched fight and willpower in not letting go of #21, regardless of appearing down and out. Congrats to Nadal on winning his 2nd AO and career slam with the grit and determination we've come to expect, and a lot more of each as things turned out.
Me too! For the first time ever I didn’t even watch because I was so sure he would lose, and I didn’t want to see that happen. I followed the scores online and that was bad enough to put myself through haha
@@shanewall9092 I got lucky- I didn't watch the first 2.5 hours, thinking I'd just wait to see what happened and keep my sanity, but a couple reply comments stating Rafa was in deep trouble led me to check it out. At 0-40 in the 3rd I figured it was over, but I kept hoping for Nadal to just get one more point, and then watched raptly as things started happening. Glad I witnessed the last three hours live, for sure.
Indomitable Rafael Nadal
Indomitable, incessant, inspiring
Nadal, a Force of Nature
Doubles his efforts when down, hitting
Outlandish shots from impossible spots
Medvedev the latest to be left sitting
In awe and shock at
The warrior will
And calm nerve of the
Balearic Bull’s
Laser-like forehands
Explosive topspins, and exquisite drop shots
Radiant in victory at another Grand Slam
Always humble, win or lose
Forever the passion, no? Vamos!
Accepting highs and lows with unerring
Equanimity and
Love for the battle and the suffering
Now standing
Atop the pinnacle of his sport
Doubts still driving his quest for betterment
Always respectful, grateful, hungry for the next battle
Love all!
Padraic Slater
A brilliant analysis which I thoroughly enjoyed. It was engaging, clear and easy to follow. Daniil would benefit from what you had to say.
I've been Rafa fan for such a long time and, to be honest, I turned off the TV at the end of the second set and just followed the score on my phone, because I didn't want to witness Rafa having another AO heartbreak. I tuned in again when he broke in the 4th.... Truly astounding, like a phoenix rising from the ashes! It was lovely to see Rafa so excited and amazed at capturing his 21st title.
I really have not watched the fifth set because i really do not want nadal to lose and after 1 hour i switched on and it was 40-0 6-5 in the fifth set
Great analysis gill. His win was beyond belief. I'm still savoring his win and it's only after listening to his interview I realize how important this was to him, tempered by his sobering comment that while he would try his best to be back next year nothing was certain considering how quickly things change. I do hope he continues to beef up his serve and concentrate on first strike tennis though it's astonishing he won more 9+ rallies than Daniil.
His down the line forehand caught fire in the 5th set. It opened up the court right away allowing Rafa to attack the net but it's also astonishing Rafa won more 9+ shot rallies than Daniil over the match but Daniil put tremendous pressure on his serve based on the 0-4 shot stats overall
What an epic match!!! Huge congrats to Rafa! Well deserved! What I don’t understand though about Daniil…what was he expecting? A supportive crowd after 2 weeks of him losing his mind and having fits???This is not about nationality as he eluded to. Safin for instance was always a crowd favorite. But that needs to be earned.
Calling the crowd names such as "idiots" is not a good idea if you want crowd support. I love Medvedev but he needs to work on this mental part of his game.
and his muttering during the prize ceremony was very childish. he's got anger issue.
@@freemangriffin4953 I agree! I was routing for Rafa, and I am simply flabbergasted how he managed to pull this final rabbit out of his old hat. But am also a fan of Medvedev. He is a very interesting and intelligent guy, and I love his eloquent pressers. But I really think he is wrong with this idea that the crowd doesn't like Russians! The crowd may not like Putin - for very good reasons. But most tennis fans also disliked Trump - also for very good reasons - but they didn't hate American players. Tennis fans aren't like soccer fans, and the nationality of a player is only important if a player is in his own country. Because of Ash Barty and the Special Ks the Aussies had a blast this year.
Btw, it's also complete bullsh.t that Djokovic is disliked by many tennis fans because he is from Serbia! There are many more valid reasons for not liking Novak! That said, the Australian crowd wasn't exactly fair this year! Disrupting the serving player is the height of bad manners. I think that Nick Kyrgios introduced this boorishness this year or at least encouraged it! I have nothing against Kyrgios, who actually has a very complex and interesting personality, but I think that the umpires should try to stop this nonsense. Medvedev however needs to develop a thicker skin! As has been said here before, Rafa is an acquired taste for the French spectators, and for many years he wasn't the crowd favorite at all. And I have the suspicion that even after all these years the French do not exactly love him. But they learned to respect him as an inevitable force of nature whose triumphant return each year marks the beginning of summer 😉 It is astonishing that Rafa won all his 13 FO trophies in front of an audience which was either indifferent or openly hostile. The French made it very clear that they loved Federer. But Rafa never had a problem with this and simply concentrated on playing tennis. Medvedev should learn to do the same. He should have known that the crowd would be firmly behind Rafa from the get-go. After Novak's deportation Rafa was the one who could supply the AO with it's glorious historical moment after all, and the Aussies respect and love Rafa. When he mounted his spectacular comeback after losging the first two sets, the crowd was firmly behind him.
Medvedev needs some mental coaching. But I firmly believe that he will win more slams. Since the US Open 2019 he has become a very reliable player who is able to hang on in difficult matches, and he is now able to challenge Rafa and Novak in a big way. Unlike some of the other young guns - like Zverev for example - Medvedev has also managed to be very successful at the slams. He has been in four slam finals since the US Open 2019, and he won his maiden slam last year in NY easily in three, while losing two of his finals in five sets. That's not too shabby if we consider that his opponents in all four finals were Novak and Rafa, the two current GOATs! Yesterday Medvedev was for the first time the prohibitive favorite, and he didn't disappoint. It was bad luck for Medvedev that his opponent was hellbent on winning this thing. Rafa knew of course that this match was probably his very last chance to get a second AO title and complete a double career slam. Who knows in what kind of shape his battered body will be next year?
The first two sets reminded me of when Rafa plays Novak. The heavy forehand into the backhand just didn't bother Medvedev at all. Rafa was using the slice a lot to try to change the dynamic of the point, but Medvedev was just a backboard. Also, Rafa's first serve percentage in the first two sets was just abysmal. I know that even if the first serve percentage was higher, the balls were probably coming back, since Medvedev is a great returner with his return position, but it may have allowed Rafa to go offensive earlier with the first ball. His first serve really increased, especially in sets 3 and 5, and I think that really helped Rafa a lot. With that being said, what a legendary comeback from a legendary player.
Apart from physicality 4th hour onwards, Nadal's play, groundstrokes and first serves also improved significantly, which were low in first two sets...it was not just Medvedev's lack of physicality after 4 hours because of which Nadal won....Nadal raised his game more than Medvedev went down... Nadal deserves lot of credit
Correct!!!! Rafa was tight in the 2nd set, but Boy what a Legendary Fighter 😁🎉🎉🎉🎉🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
@@jonasbertilbellander That break-back at the end of the 5th at 5-all was colossal. If I was on the SS Poseidon on New Year's and a tidal wave hit, I think single-handedly Nadal could turn the ship right-side up again, such is his willpower in dangerous situations.
Medvedev should have won the 3rd set, but I agree about the next two.
@@ZacharyShahan And Nadal should have won the second set!
Rafas 1st serve % was accordingly stats ;
1 50 %
2 50 %
3 82 %
4 50 %
5 69 %
Due to not so many matches lately for Rafa. He use to lay on 70. With higher %in the 2nd set Rafa had won it Eaasy!!!! 🏆🏆🏆🏆🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇🏆🏆🏆🏆🥇🥇🏆🏆🏆😄😄😄😄😆😆🏆🏆🏆♥️♥️♥️🏆🏆
Thanks for the great analysis! As a Nadal fan, I can only agree 100%. This is certainly his greatest comeback in a match and probably his greatest comeback from injury. I still can't believe it.
Also, I just wanna say, your content is amazing, keep up the great work. I've been following you for several years now and I remember when you still had like 500 followers, thinking you deserved so many more. And now it's 13K. Well deserved!
Greatest comeback from injury was 2013… way better quality. Way harder opponents.
Hi Gill, I tend to agree with your technical comments. However, this time I think you have not given enough credit to Nadal’s backhand on the second part of the match. For me, it was THE major factor altogether with Nadal’s will to go the extra mile. It would be interesting to analyze % of BH slices on 1st/2nd sets vs the rest of the match.
His down the line forehand caught fire in the 5th set. It opened up the court right away allowing Rafa to attack the net but it's also astonishing Rafa won more 9+ shot rallies than Daniil over the match but Daniil put tremendous pressure on his serve based on the 0-4 shot stats overall
Absolutely this. It was Nadal's backhand down the line winners in the 2nd part of the match that played a major role because Medvedev continuously went there and was punished bigly.
I agree. I do mention this at 35:15
What a performance from Nadal, securing possibly the most important title in his career and completing his greatest ever comeback in a match. I am a Nadal fan and I am once again in awe of his tenacity, even when the nerves of this moment are quite clearly getting to him.
Great analysis of the game. I was at the game and the atmosphere was electric. In regards to the crowd, they were for Rafa winning. The crowd I think would have rewarded any point that Rafa won no matter who he was playing as he was going for 21
Didn't play for 7 months, had Corona, is 35 and came back from 0-2 down. Let that sink in! Nadal is just something special!
Oh yes,brother..
Absolutely amazing ,so proud of Rafa..
I'm watching the full replay on the AO channel (so awesome they did this) and I Still CAN'T BELIEVE IT! In fact I'm nervous just watching the replay because it feels like a dream. Literally Rafa's greatest comeback of all time with the most on the line and ALL of the pain and sorrow of losing 2012 2014 2017 AND 2019 AO's are dust in the wind. Vamos my friends, Vamos.
Agree- as Nadal fans, we can all relax a little now as he's finally reached the top again in Australia. Hoped every year he might get his second AO, but I didn't expect it to play out in such epic fashion in 2022. Truly a win and comeback for the ages, providing a blueprint of Rafael Nadal as the greatest fighter tennis has ever known- vamos!
Your analysis is always fantastic. Thank you for this, Gill
Great breakdown. Great way to memorialize this match. I believe that this is up there with the most most memorable and career defining matches we’ve ever seen. Agassi/Medvedev in 1999 has eerie similarities with this one. Down to the opponents last name. That kind of comeback doesn’t really happen. I know Djokovic came back at Roland Garros last year, but it didn’t feel like it was a hopeless situation. You kind of expected Djokovic to come back. Rafa’s injury history and the form of his opponent made the situation seem kind of hopeless. I was never shocked by a Nadal victory before this match.
An epic battle. Once a legend, always a legend. The great Nadal.
Nadal was lucky that it wasn't Djokovic he was playing in the final. Rest assured Nadal was the happiest tennis player on the planet when Djokovic lost his 10th Australian to a tyranical Australian government official !
Great analysis! The most incredible thing about this win, or at least how I felt it during the match, was how hard Rafa struggled to win the 2nd set (the 5-3 game was insane) and still Medvedev was able to pull it out. How he forgave himself when he was down and kept fighting, finding solutions and ultimately believing he could come back. That was truly out of this world and special!
And very well deserved for him to finally capture his 2nd AO after more than a decade and those other finals he lost.
Somewhere between the talk of big 3, the story of Nadal Federer rivalry has faded. This is such a huge moment in Nadal's career to finally finally get one over Roger. It hasnt quite sunk in yet.
we didnt see that one coming, i had medi in 4 what a mistake to ever discount rafa and this was a spectacular win
I mean Medvedev was 1 point away from a 3 set victory, had he won that sixth game in the third set he wouldve won in 3.
@@nikolagoatic1598
Against all other mortals he would have.
Unbelievable! I'm just in awe of what has transpired! Like many others I didn't have Nadal getting past the quarters. let alone the final! Coming back from two sets to love is just incredible! This proves that any obstacles, adversities, can be overcome! And Rafa was questioning whether could he ever play again?
Truly remarkable feat.
And Medvedev, he became very close to his own history. He was amazing himself! If the consistency remains, he'll be a regular at the grand slam finals winning more... I did watch his press conference. Very disturbing that he feels that way. I agree that the crowds were awful. Is it entirely his fault? No I do not think so. However it did not help yelling at the chair umpires and making comments while on court regarding his opponents. I hope Daniil has a long reflection and keep striving.
What an Australian Open! Congrats to Rafael Nadal with the record-breaking 21st Grand Slam 🏆!
It's the Greatest single performance of all time.
How about Rafa vs. Fed at the Wimby 2008 final ? Rafa beat Fed on his best surface and mentally outplayed him. The turning point as far as Rafa becoming superior to Fed.
@Ian Novak It is considered worldwide the greatest tennis match ever. Surely Federe flight har don his favorite surface, evened the match, and eve saved a match point. Yet Rafa didn't choke et al. He fought hard he won the match at 9-7 in the fifth. That shows his great endurance, never-say-die attitude. The point is that after almost winning Wimbledon in 2006 and 2007, Rafa succeeded to finally to solve the Federer riddle on grass, and in the process became # 1 and started beating Fed on hardcourt Slams as well.
@Ian Novak I think the OP was referring to the greatest physical and mental performance of all time by a tennis player. Rafa's comeback from 2 sets down against a player that currently is the best hardcourter was part of that performance. The other part was Rafa's fighting spirit, tactics and end game in the 5th set.
Well Gill, he did it !!!! My Rafa won, I tell you there were many ups and downs and tears during that match! At one point I even turned it off, the nerves I had, I was probably more nervous than Rafa. Haha during that second set Rafa should have closed it out and unfortunately went to a tiebreak and I knew Dani is so solid on serve compared to Rafa I just had a huge feeling Dani was going win the tiebreak and then Rafa finds himself down 2 sets to love. Honestly in my heart I knew if anyone could come back Rafa could. Anyway I was crying when he won it. It was so emotional I have been a fan of his ever since he joined the tour, originally I was a Andy Roddick fan and then one day my mum showed me this young Spanish guy he had the long hair, long pants the tank top, amazing young, up and coming player and that was it, I had fallen in love. Anyway what a match, what a battle from Rafa and Dani just unbelievable.
I said Rafa 3-1, ended up being Rafa 3-2. I was close with prediction eh? 😉
We love your channel will continue to watch and support it Gill and just want to say personally I think you should be on commentating or on Eurosport in the Cube with matts wilander. Love your videos.
One factor that led Medvedev to use lots of drop shots: he wanted to make Nadal run. Medvedev was convinced, as were we all, that he would have superior stamina over Nadal. Medvedev was attempting to break Nadal physically, and continued with the flawed strategy even after it became clear that it was Medvedev who was suffering more than Nadal. Medvedev actually said in his press conference after the game that the only thing he said to Nadal when shaking hands at the net after the final point was: "Are you even tired?"
I so wanted Nadal to win AO open after 2012, 2014 & 2017 heartbearks. 2012 & 2017 were amazing 5 setters where he could have won. 2014 was the one where he got back injury during the finals against Wawarinka
It's been a long wait, and very satisfying to finally see this happen for Rafa.
That loss to Wawrinka remains the only Grand Slam loss to a player not one of the Big 3 players! He is now 21-8, the highest percentage of any of the Big 3.
Yes. This victory takes away from of the sting from those heartbreak losses. It's extra sweet because it was done on this court, a fast hard court against arguably the best current hard court player.
I think this could also be a record for Nadal in the open era … like a 13 years gap between a particular slam. Is it guys ?
@@sahilvarma9553 Just did a Google search and it appears to be the case according to Tennis Warehouse, so score yet another record for Rafa. Serena went 11 years between French Open titles (2002, then 2013) and Ken Rosewall had bigger gaps, but in each case his first title pre-dated the Open Era (16 years between AO titles- 1955-1971; 15 years between French Open titles- 1953-1968; and 14 years between U.S. Open titles- 1956-1970).
The biggest mystery of Nadal/ Djokovic is this supernatural energy stores they have as in from complete exhaustion they go into full energy mode. It’s like a video game, getting an extra life. None of the other players on tour have this capacity, not even Federer. Nadal looked totally toast after the first few games of the match, how did he go on to play more than 4 hours after that??
Its the heart, the heart of a lion
U mean drugs
@@varunshahvo-tv9854 do you even know how steroids work? They don’t just give you extra energy wtf
@@varunshahvo-tv9854 wow !! You lot are really getting desparate now
Nadal was 100% exhausted for probably most of this match. These physical rallies and all would’ve drained him within 2 hours in any other match. But he wanted this win so badly. He was willing to suffer hard on the court. It was really pure willpower. He also was able to play more offensively than Medvedev which is huge for energy conservation.
With the qualities he brings in to this match. Truly deserved this win.
I sincerely Congrats to Nadal, with lots of admiration. What a match! What a win!
Thank you so much, Gill, for your coverage of AO22, both on this channel and on Three. Your videos have been a great addition to the matches!
You just earned a big fan. What a great video Gil. Thank you so much for this channel. Can't wait to dig into past vids...
Super excellent analysis my friend. So professional, I loved it.
Exactly what i was expecting ,exactly as i predicted..
Nadal in 5 sets..
Nadal giving 150% of his capabilities to win this AO..
Absolutely amazing ..
So proud..
Well done Rafa..
P.s the only thing i expected from Nadal but didnt see it that much was playing Medvedev with short slices and slices in general with more attacking the net..
Nadal won so many points off his slice and short slice..
I told you that these guys are pretenders compared to kings of the game like Nadal. Was on crutches a few months ago, had covid last month and he still wins in a 5 half hour match. Goat signed and sealed
This could have been the great last hurrah of one of tennis’ greatest, like Ali in Manila. Let’s hope he can recover and stay healthy for RG.
One of your best analyses I have had the pleasure to hear and see and your clarifying your points with demos was so good that I will have to view it again to fully understand
Had Nadal taken advantage of his early lead on the 2nd set, it would have been championship over in 4 sets.
But the victory wouldn't have been as satisfying
Yes, Rafa winning epic 5-setters in slam finals, after losing a few heartbreakers, adds a lot of luster to his career.
It’s ironic that Djokovic won his second RG title, only for Rafa to win the next AO for the second time. They both won the other’s favorite major 😁
And both from 2 sets down
except Djokovic was not allowed to challenge this stats
@@vladimirpujic4087 Anti vaxxer mole
@@vladimirpujic4087
to be honest and regardless which player we support .. Novak confronted Nadal in FO 2021 and managed to beat him and end up winning the trophy and claimed his double career grand slams.
while Nadal seized Novak's absence ( deportation ) and end up winning the trophy and claimed his double career grand slam .
big difference.
@@vladimirpujic4087 keep crying
Nadal didn't play US open or Wimbledon 2021 either
Discount Novak's Roland Garros 2016 too because he only won because Nadal was injured
And Medvedev is the best hard court player now not Novak
Medvedev destroyed him at Us open
Enjoy with friends and family 👍🙏☺️
Crowd plus Nadal having experience from long finals made the difference in the end I think.
Congratulations, Rafa on your GS#21. You are the Real Champion and GOAT, ON and OFF the COURT, you have our respect and admiration, always.
During Medvedev's on court interview after his semi final victory, he was boasting about how he would have extra energy if the match against Rafa went to a fifth set. Gill, that talk backfired and now I can see from your analysis why.
You know he’s clutch when the ace count is 3 vs 20-30something, but that third ace is to deliver championship point.
Mad respect for holding a seemingly breakless 45 minute vid by yourself like that and staying so eloquent throughout. Can’t wait for the usual Flink conversation, I bet he’s blown away
Thank you Gill I love watching you’re analysis ! I think you should always have Rafael Nadal as favourite in any final .
nobody going to mention that nadal started slicing to meddy's forehand instead of backhand starting in the 2nd set and meddy started buggy whipping all of his forehands regardless of whether he needed to or not?
Rafa is a mastermind playing tennis. Another of his amazing skills. His brain applied to his game and his rivals game...is untouchable.
45 min MMA on a RAfa slam title, nothing beats it
Tennis Joe Rogan
"This was the worst shot of the match!" 🤣 It was actually very funny
For Rafa the 2 is much more fulfilling than the 21. Both is greatness.
I think it was great there wasn't a lot of talk about #21 until the final. Rafa has waited so long for this second AO title, and it has to be very satisfying for him to finally have another AO trophy, completing his second career slam in the process.
The crowd broke Daniil emotionally. He was close to tears in his press conference.
I always learn so much from your analysis, and they make watching tennis so much more interesting! So thank you. Great coverage this month!
I have been watching tennis forever and used to play at the college level - I learn so much from Gill's analysis! He is my favorite analyst by far online!
I think everything changed after the 40-shot rally.
That exchange seemed to push Medvedev into physical survival mode. And then everything Gill talks about comes into play: Suddenly Medvedev needed to abandon Plan A and try to shorten points.
The best technical analysis for the match !!!
What an amazing analysis, the like of which I would never expect from anyone else!!!! Real fun to watch this video, even more fun than the match itself!!! Gill, where do you go from here? Cheers to your excellence from Seoul, South Korea!!!
it was like seeing some rocky movie, where SS gets punched hard and he's bleeding all over, but he asks the other guy: is this all you've got? ok, let me show you now what I've got.
Yep, there should be a movie made regarding Nadal's greatest comeback!
Thank you Gill, doing the AO coverage and including WTA previews, Men’s final preview you were spot on what Nadal should do, it was so late in Australia by the time they finished, didn’t know who going to be the winner until the last ball over the net, and we are very proud of our Ash,
Impressive analysis Gill. It made a lot of sense.
Gill, RE “physical shift,” agree about the importance of weather conditions. And excellent for you noting that (because I have not heard any other commentator / reporter mention it). At the start of the match the conditions on court were warm and humid. Nadal sweated profusely in the first two sets, which may have affected his racket grip and led to some of the errors. Physically, Nadal appeared quite stressed (agree, similar to the Shapovalov match). Then, as the night wore on, the temperature and humidity decreased. And the cooler, dryer air seemed to help Nadal regain his energy.
It is fitting Rafa won his second Australian open where he has suffered his most heartbreaks (4 final losses) coming back from a two sets deficit just like Novak did the same at the French last year (4 final losses but not in Rafa's position of losing leads in the 5th set)
Who can comeback from foot surgery 4 months later, being out of shape from lack of practice, can’t breathe because of COVID, and win on his hardest surface against the worlds best hard court player??? GOATdal only GOATdal!!! I don’t want to hear you Chokosquirrels say Goatkovic unless you add of choke or defaulting or Deportovicing or quitting or crying or abusing ball kids and lines women!!! There is only one GOATdal. Your guy is just the defaultovic who covers the void for GOATdal when he’s injured. GOATdal baby!!! GOATdal!!!
This guy's description says he advocates love and peace... um.. right.
Brilliant breakdown as usual.
Maybe more emphasis on the fact that air temperatures in Melbourne suddenly dropped 7 degrees centigrade during the third set thereby helping Nadal's game and endurance. Had temperatures dropped sooner he may have won in 4!
No doubt in my mind that Medvedev will go on to win more slams! Amazing player, what happen to him in the final of the Aussie open? Was it fatigue? Did the crowd get to him? Was it mentality? Rafa came back strong started to play better, the first set from Rafa was poor and he was simply being outplayed by Dani. All I know is more slams in med future. Congrats to both on an amazing final that I will never forget.
That 🐻 is 🤕… doesn’t even want to play FO or Wimbledon anymore…
"Nobody has the depth on return to neutralize Nadal's serve in the first two sets except for Daniil"....Gill, Nadal was playing with a 50% first serve percentage!!! Of course it's easier to return if the rival is constantly playing with 2nd serves!!
@asava17 I was frustrated with the whole match actually! Rafa's first serve totally betrayed him!
Gill's analysis is on point. Patrick Mouratoglou released a short video 2 days ago. But we heard it from Gill first. Patrick Mouratoglou's video title: 2022 Australian Open Final Match Analysis: Nadal vs Medvedev
Rafa is a traditional guy. He believes in people and he will keep them almost for ever with him.
It's been 6 years since Carlos Moya is working with him. Carlos Moya himself is more of a Clay Specialist. And they both are still able to produce good results on hard.
I wish Nadal try adding grass court specialists into his team like how Federer brought Stefan Edberg, Djocovic brought Becker and ivanisevic into their teams.
We all know how powerful Federer backhand became after Lubicic joined his team.
I believe Nadal still has so much potential to tap. And great players could certainly help him in that. He should seriously consider this.
The problem with grass courts is they take a large toll on Nadal's knees. He already proved how good he is on them.
0-2,2-3, 0-40.
Gill you need a poster behind you you should get a frame where you can put a poster of the Match your talking about would look cool and very nice. and also your great at what you do
The main difference is this was a 5 set match. In 5 sets your endurance matters more and there is a difference between the kind of muscle you build for doing well in 3 sets vs 5 sets (fast twitch vs slow twitch muscles)
One additional observation no one talks about is how Nadal and even Djokovic use the first few rounds to prepare for crunch time situations and big matches against stronger opponents.
One thing I noticed during the last two matches of Nadal is it appeared he changed strategy often even when he was leading against Shapo and Berettini 2-0 up. Against Shapo and especially Berettini after initially targeting their backhand, he started feeding balls to their forehand.
The change in strategy let his opponents back into his match and Nadal always found a way to win the end.
I think thats a lesson the younger generation like Medvedev need to learn from Nadal, Djokovic . They are always trying out different stratagies in real match situations even if it means lengthening some of their earlier round matches. This prepares them for crunch situations like a final when they know you need multiple plans-> plan A, plan B etc.
This is the greatest comeback in history of tennis and another feather in Nadal's cap and claim to greatness
Good observation
As always an incredible match review. Your analysis is preceptive and enlightening and adds pleasure to the celebration of this historic sporting event. Your psychological analysis, mixed with match stats and consideration of all aspects of the game flies far above all the simple comments that Med got tired. To the question - "How on earth did Rafa make a comeback?" - you gave a solid well-balanced answer.
Yes, and Nadal provided Gill the answer to the question he kept asking all tournament concerning if Rafa had the ability to prevail in a long match after a lengthy layoff. Unbelievable result!
The thing about the crowd is that Meddy always likes to say he wants to be the villain, and it’s almost like he forgets that no one likes the villain. His actions on court are not reflective of a player that people will root for. One of the main reasons that I can never root for Djokovic myself. I hate how he breaks racquets and how he yells at ball kids sometimes. I hate how Shapo continually barks at his box and makes excuses. There’s a reason why Roger, Rafa, Monfils, etc. are so loved. Roger definitely has had his moments, but the other two are pretty humble and stable. It’s nice to know that top players can be intense and competitive, and also be humble and respectful. (Just my opinion. Don’t feel the need to comment if you disagree, I really do not care.)
But people still love shapovalov. I think it’s based off playing style
@@adaobieisreading I don’t know anyone that loves him, but sure I guess.
Thanks for the coverage Gill!
Thank you for the analysis. Completely agree with you re: the crowd and Medvedev.
Wow! Superb analysis!!
Amazing breakdown of this spectacular final. Conclusion: Nadal is Genius.
The GOAT discussion is irrelevant. Nadal ei the Mental Master
As a Nadalista, I've suffered at the AO. AO2 is all I wanted. And what a way to give it to his loyal Nadalistas!!!!! 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥
For the menatal processing maybe Medvedev can talk to Ivan Lendl who was never loved by the crowd. Lendl said he didn't care about the crowd either way: If the cheer for me I will play harder, if they are against me I'll play harder to show them. Perfect guy to advise.
Personally Nadal is one of the two goats of tennis with Federer. Although Novak is also up there, personally I believe he has too many things going his way and caught Federer and Nadal after their prime time was declining. Because when both where in their major prime, Novak never came close to their game. So I put Novak one step behind Nadal and Federer. Again, that's my opinion and doesn't have to be yours.
But I must say the following. There is something that nobody comes close to Nadal, not even the other tennis goat Federer... Nadal's strong mentality. Nadal might be the athlete with the best mental strength ever of any sport probably and certainly of tennis at least.
That man's mental strength is beyond comprehension and not Federer,not Novak or any tennis players beat him in that.
@Gill You nailed the analysis 100% here. I especially appreciated what you said about Medvedev not following up the attack. There were so many instances where Medvedev would establish court advantage with a serve or a strong backhand and get a shorter return, but he would not look to finish the point. I think that was a huge reason for why he lost and probably should be a core focus of his development as a player going forward.
For an ardent albeit casual tennis fan, this analysis was so in-depth and entertaining. The picture study was exactly what I looked forward to … how Meddy struggles with seemingly simple finishing tactics really baffled me as a watcher.
I also felt sad for Daniil at the end of his presser … he’s a bit of an instigator but a good honest guy … doesn’t have the European/Western polish but I think he’s actually an amazing dude.
Thank you for saying that Daniil earned the way the crowd behaved towards him; you can’t be disrespectful, call the crowd idiots and then expect their support.
The frequency, given the poor execution, of the Bear's dropshot was bewildering, it was a play which clearly wasn't working, yet he kept going to it.
Wow, what an incredible match! Despite not going the way I wished it had, I do not regret staying up and witnessing one the greatest matches ever. After the first two sets, I thought Nadal was done and dusted given how much he put into that second set and the calibur of opponent which he was facing. Medvedev had his chances and probably should have won the third set, but he made a couple of questionable choices in that 0-40 game. Med only has himself to blame. Moreover, the Russian was horrible at the net and his inability to finish off points really showed. From mid 3rd set, he was losing almost everything at net. I kept wondering why he kept going to drop shots when it was clearly not working for him.This is why I don't want to hear any of that bs that Medvedev is a better hardcourt player than Djokovic. Watch the 2019 AO Final and you will see the big difference to their approach and clear superiority of Novak. That all being said, Medvedev played a great tournament and will learn from this. He will be back and will surely win more slams. Congrats to Nadal for pulling off one of the greatest comebacks ever. Nadal fans should be very optimistic for Roland Garros, given that the Spaniards health holds up.
He was clearly tired
@Jan parchanski Agreed that Medvedev played too much as a pusher and needs to learn how to finish off points. That all being said, Medvedev had his chances to close the match in straight sets, as well as numerous break point opportunities throughout the match. Nadal was just more clutch and Medvedev was horrible at the net in key moments.
So much for all these people who said Nadal will never have a chance against Medvedev on hard courts. Glad he shut all the disrespect up. This was peak Medvedev vs Nadal coming off an injury and Covid, with very little practice and a heat stroke in the QFs. In a grand slam final!
@@SJ-di5zu It cant be peak Medvedev if he only performed on his top level for 2 and a half sets in a 5 sets match, he couldve and should have won in 3, that sixth game in the match where he had 3 winnable BPs was the turning point, he really needs to work on his mental game, he cant take time between games talking to the umpire over and over after saying in post game interview ( vs Tsitsipas ) that he made the mistake doing that. He is still 25 so he will be fine, but this L will hurt him way more than any other in his career.
@@jacobschmidt2709 well, it doesn't help that he doesn't naturally have a big groundstroke on either wing. As Gill pointed out, he has problems generating pace off his groundstrokes.
wow an excellent analysis indeed!!!
The reason I predicted Rafa would win had to do with Medvedev's losses - they always happen when he gets distracted and sweats the small stuff and Rafa rarely ever sweats the small stuff. Medvedev needs to learn how to let go of the distractions and stay focused on his tennis. I knew it would be a close match but ultimately I felt that Rafa would prevail. I thought it would be 4 sets but maybe 5 and that is how it turned out.
Rafa is the best problem solver in men's tennis history. He also has the Buddhist perspective of staying in the moment.
This Australian Open was a great tournament! So happy for Rafa on GS #21!
Medvedev wasn’t distracted though. He was just clearly outplayed in the last three sets. Nadal’s willpower was too strong
Very good Analysis!!!
I used 2 call Nadal GCompetitorOAT now after this enormous achievement against all odds, I'm honoured I can call him GOAT.
PS
Sadly for me this is d first comment since my sweet mum passed away ( January 26th :'-/ ) she loved Rafa also bcuz he was born June 3rd just like my poor father died in 1999. We used 2 watch this super champ on TV always enjoying and inspired by his huge love n' passion 4 d game.
I always comment for fun but this one hasn't been easy for me ... anyway
Thanq love ya :'-)
This episode is definitely one of my favorites (top 5 perhaps for MMA). There was a heck of a lot to unpack in this match and in ways I'm still processing it! Gill did a wonderful job here of taking one through the major swings in the match and helping understand why it swung one way or the other. I think Gill nails it here in so many ways. As an interesting aside, when discussing the sweat dripping off of Nadal and how it was really extreme in the 1st set it takes me back to the match in Rome against Schwartzman. I keep bringing that match up 🙂 but I honestly think there is some relevance because that is the other match where he was sweating to an extreme and there are parallels to how Nadal played in that match and how he looked in *only* the 1st set here. But, as Gill points out, the weather had changed by the 3rd set. Cahill noted the same on ESPN. I just found that small part of the discussion, even though there were MANY other more major points of the match, quite interesting. BTW, my top 3 MMA episodes to date : #1. Wimbledon VLOG #2. Gill Gross vs. Philip Farma #3. Gill w/ Steve Flink on US Open 2021.
Rafael Nadal what a champion he is, what a fighter, ultimate warrior not only in tennis but all sports put together. I couldn't believe he could believe that be can win after 2 sets down, 3 hours on clock,2-3 0-40 down, Medvedev choked at that moment and Nadal never looked back, he was always ahead after that game.. Nadal seized the Djokovic absence and again started the GOAT race, which is not over until all hangs their boot.
This was the first time ever that Medvedev had almost 8 hours of play combined from his previous two matches going into a final. With one close to just under 5 hours and the other a very physical four setter the first three sets. His legs started to go on him late in the third set. Combine that with the crowd and Rafa’s level going up after saving triple break point. You get what we saw.
"The crowd" my ass. Of course people rooted for Nadal, but it wasn't AT ALL a disrespecting, raucus crowd against Medvedev. Sorry, it wasn't a factor in this match.
I’m a Rafa fan. It was a factor. Meddy has to just play but it takes mental toughness to do that. US Open and Aussie final crowds were a disgrace. Spoken from someone who can’t stand when the Parisians are rude when Fed plays anyone. Is what it is.
Great analysis Gill 👍👍. I have a couple of points to add.
1) Medvedev’s speed of shots increased by 25K from/after the sixth game in the third(140 to 160 odd). I believe he was done in by the finish line pressure, it was his nerve and lack of emotional discipline that took the toll. All the juice he took to prevent cramps was only exposing him more. Something in me tells me he doesn’t like failing to break 0-40 games, his outburst against Tsitsipas started in similar fashion.
2) His slider out wide serve to Rafa’s backhand were replaced by down the line ones in the fifth and possibly fourth which were all read amazingly by Nadal. Credit to Rafa, not so much to Danil for lack of clarity in thought process.
3) Time on court being similar for both players as highlighted by most commentators is not entirely correct. Danil plays his points faster, Rafa considerably slower, and Danil runs more than Rafa. Hence 17 hours for Danil is actually couple of hours more than Rafa whose match play would be around 15 with all those longer breaks between points.
I would disagree slightly on Medvedev’s net play abilities, I think he is not as bad as it turned out to be, it was his nerve again playing the spoilsport which resulted in tighter hands and bad decision making. Credit to Rafa nonetheless for excellent first point post return and serve which eventually made the difference.
Thanks for the excellent analysis!! Tennis is such a mental game! Imagine that Medvedev had broken that Rafa’s serve game when 2-3 in the third set. Probably now we would be talking about the Russian’s victory in straight sets. Only a few errors and the match changed completely.
Considering what was at stake with history, Nadal's condition and age, and being 0-2 down, this has to be one of the greatest comebacks in tennis history. Maybe the greatest.
I woke up after the 3rd set and felt that Nadal was still going to prevail!