Rafael Nadal said he "feels lucky to be part" of an era in tennis that includes Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic after the Spaniard won a men's record 21st Grand Slam title at the Australian Open to move one ahead of his two great rivals.
Nadal pulled off an epic comeback on Sunday to defeat Daniil Medvedev 2-6, 6-7, 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 in a classic final at Melbourne Park.
It was the Spaniard's second Australian Open title and came only months after fearing his glorious career might be over because of a niggling left foot injury.
The 35-year-old paid tribute to Federer, who missed the year's first Grand Slam to continue his rehabilitation from knee surgery and Djokovic, who was deported following a dispute over Australia's Covid-19 entry requirements and his unvaccinated status.
"At the end of the day, it's just a game and in some way we achieved more than what we ever dreamed of when we were kids," Nadal told reporters. "It doesn't matter that much if one is 21, one is 20, or the other finished 23 and the other with 21.
"I think we did very important things for our sport and we achieved our dreams and we enjoy it. I feel lucky to be part of this era that has been very special for our sport."
Nadal's second Australian Open crown came 13 years after his first. After an injury disrupted 2021 where he pulled out of Wimbledon, the Tokyo Olympics and the US Open, he became only the second player after Djokovic to win all four Grand Slams more than once in the Open era.
Nadal's 21 Grand Slam wins
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RAFAEL NADAL'S 21 GRAND SLAM TITLES: 1) Rafael Nadal wins his first Grand Slam at the 2005 French Open. Getty Images -
2) Rafael Nadal wins the 2006 French Open. Getty Images -
3) Rafael Nadal makes it three in a row at the 2007 French Open. Getty Images -
4) Rafael Nadal secures a fourth straight Roland Garros title at the 2008 French Open. Getty Images -
5) Rafael Nadal win his first major away from the French Open at the 2008 Wimbledon Championships. Getty Images -
6) Rafael Nadal won major title No 6 at the 2009 Australian Open, his first Grand Slam on hard courts. Getty Images -
7) Rafael Nadal wins his fifth Roland Garros title at the 2010 French Open. Getty Images -
8) Rafael Nadal becomes a two-time Wimbledon champion at the 2010 Championships. AFP -
9) Rafael Nadal completes the career Grand Slam by winning the 2010 US Open. AFP -
10) Rafael Nadal reaches 10 Grand Slam titles with his sixth Roland Garros triumph at the 2011 French Open. AFP -
11) Rafael Nadal wins the 2012 French Open, his seventh title in Paris. Getty Images -
12) Rafael Nadal wins a fourth straight Roland Garros for the second time in his career at the 2013 French Open. AFP -
13) Rafael Nadal wins his second US Open title at the 2013 tournament. Getty Images -
14) Rafael Nadal wins a fifth successive Roland Garros title at the 2014 French Open. AFP -
15) Rafael Nadal brings up his French Open La Decima at the 2017 tournament in Paris. AP Photo -
16) Rafael Nadal wins the 2017 US Open for his 16th Grand Slam title. Reuters -
17) Rafael Nadal wins his 11th Roland Garros title at the 2018 French Open. AFP -
18) Rafael Nadal wins his 12th Roland Garros title at the 2019 French Open. AFP -
19) Rafael Nadal claims his fourth US Open title at the 2019 tournament. Reuters -
20) Rafael Nadal pulls level with Roger Federer on a record 20 major titles with his 13th trophy in Paris after winning the 2020 French Open. AFP -
21) Rafael Nadal becomes the most successful male player in history with his 21st major title, won at the 2022 Australian Open. AAP -
22) Nadal makes it a record-extending 22 majors with victory in the 2022 French Open. EPA
He said the satisfaction of winning his second Australian Open title was impossible to describe.
"It's amazing to have this trophy with me," Nadal said. "I tried hard during my career here in Australia, finally, it was probably the most unexpected year for me to achieve, one more time this beautiful trophy so I'm super happy."
With the French Open in May, Nadal, a 13-time winner at Roland Garros, is favourite to extend his number of Grand Slams to 22. More immediately, he said he was not thinking about his next tournament.
"I have my schedule planned, but I'm enjoying the moment ... I need to see how my body recovers from an amazing month and I'm going to make my decision," Nadal said.
