Swiss tennis ace Roger Federer has congratulated Spain’s Rafael Nadal on winning his 21st grand slam singles title after beating Daniil Medvedev 2-6, 6-7, 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 in a nail-biting Australian Open final.
Taking to Instagram stories, Federer shared a picture of Nadal celebrating his victory and wrote: “To my friend and great rival @RafaelNadal. Heartfelt congratulations on becoming the first man to win 21 Grand Slam Singles Titles.”
The Swiss star revealed that he and Nadal were joking about both being on crutches. “Never underestimate a great champion.”
“Your incredible work ethic, dedication and fighting spirit are an inspiration to me and countless others around the globe. I am proud to share this era with you,” he added.
Federer further said that he is honoured to play a role in pushing Nadal to achieve more. He ended by saying, “I am sure you have more achievements ahead but for now enjoy this one.”
Nadal fought back from two sets down to win the next three sets in order to win a nail-biting match.
In the dramatic final set, Nadal broke Medvedev’s serve in the fifth game but the Russian broke back in the 10th game to level the set.
Nadal, however, broke back immediately to clinch victory and become the first ever man in the history of tennis to win 21 grand slam titles.
The Spaniard surpassed the previous men’s record of 20 he held jointly with Federer and Serbian player Novak Djokovic.
