AS SPORTS AWARDS 2022
How many titles did Rafael Nadal win in 2022?
Despite injuries and concerns over the health of his unborn child, the Spaniard has won two Grand Slam titles in one of his best ever years.
It was already dark in Melbourne. Rafa Nadal had lost the first two sets of the Australian Open final to Daniil Medvedev and reporters were writing about the Spaniard’s inevitable defeat to the unflappable Russian, who had been magnificent for more than two hours. Everything changed, however, in the third set. Nadal, who had seen a thousand battles like these before, took control against an opponent who began to lose his cool and came back into the match. A backhand volley at the net sealed one of the greatest feats in the history of the sport. The winner of 22 Grand Slams (that was his 21st) dropped his racket and covered his face with a smile of disbelief, while his euphoric team celebrated in the stands of the Rod Laver Arena.
“This is the most unexpected title of my career and one of the most exciting because of everything I’ve gone through in recent months,” said Nadal, winner of the AS Sport Award for the sixth time. “You’ve made us all proud. It’s something we will never, ever forget,” said Craig Tiley, Director of the Australian Open. The Spaniard was coming off the back of an injury-plagued end to 2021. On 9/11 he posted a photograph on his Instagram account which showed him on crutches with his left leg in plaster, an iconic shot on his road back to fitness. Four months later he was once again a Grand Slam champion, racking up 20 consecutive victories and three titles (Melbourne, Australia and Acapulco) in a spectacular start to the year.
How many times has Rafael Nadal won the Roland-Garros?
A bruised rib slowed him down in the Indian Wells final against Taylor Fritz, as he was made to pay for the tremendous effort he put in to beat Carlos Alcaraz, who was coming on strong, in the semi-finals. But it was by no means the end of the season for him. He got his head down, rested, recovered and started training to prepare for the clay court campaign. He needed matches and time on court to be in tip-top condition for Roland Garros. He didn’t do too well in Madrid or Rome, but in Paris he was once again the dominant force. He saw off the challenge of Novak Djokovic, who he faced early, in the quarter-finals, with his best performance of the tournament and was slogging it out with Alexander Zverev in the semis when the German broke his right ankle. In the final, he comfortably defeated Casper Ruud to lift la Coupe des Mousquetaires – the French Open trophy – for the 14th time at the Court Philippe Chatrier. Unbelievable, right? Maybe if it wasn’t Nadal.
What chronic injury does Rafael Nadal suffer from?
“I don’t know what the future holds, but I’m going to fight to keep playing,” he said during the trophy presentation. He had cried tears of joy a few minutes before making a promise he wants to keep: to return to his favourite Grand Slam. He had played the entire tournament with a numb left foot (Müller-Weiss syndrome), which has plagued him since the start of his career. “It depends, but well, it’s not exact, about seven or eight hours,” he explained when asked how long it takes for the effects of the anaesthesia to wear off. “The prick hurts, being pricked with a needle always hurts. It depends on where it is. The nerve hurts less. But it’s bearable. Because otherwise we wouldn’t have done it. Although doing it 20 minutes before going out on court every day isn’t nice,” he added on the “remote sensory nerve block” he competed with.
He was forced to stop again to look for a permanent, or at least longer-lasting, solution to be able to play at Wimbledon without going through such a risky ordeal. There were rumours of a possible withdrawal, but Nadal showed up at the All England Club ready to fight. And he made it all the way to the quarter-finals, posting a very creditable win against Felix Auger-Aliassime, which he got through despite an abdominal tear. “I thought about it all day long. It doesn’t make sense to keep competing like this,” Rafa said. “It’s a really hard thing for me. I’m very sad,” he confessed the day before the semi-final match against Nick Kyrgios that he should have played but couldn’t.
Any other tennis player would have been expected to retire for good. However, Nadal began working to come back for the umpteenth time. A little more than a month later he arrived in Cincinnati, where he lost to Borna Coric in the first round. “I need more time to come back in better shape. I wasn’t ready to win,” he admitted. From there, he headed to New York for the US Open but he didn’t feel much better before losing to American Frances Tiafoe in the last 16. There were several reasons for his below-par performance, one he made public: his concern over complications with wife Mery Perelló's pregnancy. “At this level of competition, I lack freshness, practice, peace of mind, intangible things ... Now it’s time for us to have our first child and we just hope that everything goes well”. He opted not to reveal one other reason. He had torn an abdominal muscle again, as he revealed weeks later at the Laver Cup, another highlight of a very special year. Nadal and Roger Federer were unable to hold back the tears in one of tennis’ most historic moments and an emotional snapshot of the iconic duo made its way round the world. It was the day of the Swiss’s retirement and they both played and lost a doubles match against Jack Sock and Tiafoe at the O2 Arena in London. “A part of my life is gone,” he said.
Will Rafael Nadal continue playing in 2023?
Nadal became a father shortly afterwards. Everything went as it should have done and little Rafael was born, bringing Nadal Sr. happiness and relief before he turned his attention quickly back to competing. Paris-Bercy and the ATP Finals in Turin awaited. “Hello everyone. After a few days and many messages of affection, I just wanted to thank you all. We are very happy and everything is going very well! A big hug,” he wrote on social media. In France, he lost in the second round; in Italy, where he travelled to with his wife and newborn son, he didn’t make it past the group stage. “I don’t know if I’ll get back to my best, but I’ll die trying,” he promised at the end of a campaign that ended with a 39-6 record, four titles and the admiration of fans all round the world, who voted him Fans’ Favourite following Federer’s 19-year reign at the ATP awards. AS also wants to pay tribute to his work. How could we possibly not?