An inspired Rafael Nadal has claimed a record 21st major after fighting back from two sets to love down to defeat Daniil Medvedev in a gripping Australian Open men's final.
After an exhausting 5 hours and 24 minutes on court inside Rod Laver Arena, Nadal prevailed in five sets 2-6, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 in a match that did not finish until just after 1am AEDT.
It was the second-longest Australian Open final after Nadal's five-set loss to Novak Djokovic in 2012, when the Serb won in 5 hours and 53 minutes.
The victory moves Nadal ahead of his great rivals Djokovic and Roger Federer to the top of the men's all-time major winners list.
The 'Big Three" had all sat on 20 wins prior to the Australian Open.
Nadal served for the championship at 5-4 in the fifth set, only for world number two Medvedev to show nerves of steel to break his opponent to level at 5-5.
But when he broke Medvedev in the following game, the fifth-ranked Nadal had another chance to serve out the match at 6-5 and this time he made no mistake.
After shaking hands with Medvedev at the net, the Spaniard fell to the court on his knees amid the wild applause of the crowd, most of whom had been behind him the entire match.
He then celebrated his remarkable victory with his support team sitting in his player's box, a fitting moment considering the struggles the 35-year-old has been through after a foot injury ended his 2021 season early.
Nadal also tested positive to COVID-19 in December.
It is his second Australian Open championship, 13 years after he first claimed the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup. He became the fourth male player to win each major at least twice.
"It is just amazing. A month-and-a-half ago I didn't know if I would be back on the tour playing tennis again and today I am here in front of all of you having this trophy with me," Nadal said at his presentation ceremony.
"Having this trophy with me, you don't know how much I fought to be here. I can't thank [you] enough [for] all of the support I received since I arrived here."
Nadal — who was contesting his 29th final at a major — said he would cherish his victory.
"This is probably one of the most emotional ones in my tennis career and having the huge support that I received during the three weeks, it's going to stay in my heart for the rest of my life," he said.
Nadal said he had considered this might have been his final Australian Open.
"I will say maybe there is a chance that this is my last Australian Open, but now I have energy to keep on going," he said.
Medvedev gave Nadal credit for how he fought his way back from two sets down to win.
"I thought he was going to get tired and maybe he did just a little, but he still won the match," said Medvedev, who also finished runner-up last year.
"You (Nadal) are an amazing champion."
Absorbing fifth set
Nadal had shown all his fighting qualities to force a deciding set and it seemed much of the crowd was willing him on as it got underway shortly after midnight at Melbourne Park.
He appeared to have the upper hand in the fifth set when he had a break point at 30-40 in the opening game.
Medvedev held serve and despite the fact both players were battling fatigue, neither saw another break point until the fifth game.
It was Medvedev again who was serving with his back to the wall. He saved the first break point but Nadal pounced when a second was offered, clinching it with a scintillating forehand down the line.
Leading 3-2, Nadal only needed to win his next three service games and the Australian Open title was in his keeping.
But he made the task hard for himself when he gave up three break points during the sixth game, despite earlier moving 40-15 up.
Nadal found enough energy in reserve to hold his serve after a marathon game, leaving Medvedev with an uphill battle to stay in the contest.
The set wore on, with Nadal appearing to be on the verge of victory when serving for the championship at 5-4.
He led 30-0 but buckled, with Medvedev winning four consecutive points to break back and level at 5-5.
The reigning US Open champion could not maintain the pressure, however, and Nadal broke the Russian in the following game.
He served out the game to love to add another major to his tally.
Medvedev on top early
The opening set saw Nadal under early pressure on his serve, having been taken to deuce in his first service game and facing two break points in his second.
Nadal held on both occasions, but finally cracked in the fifth game of the set when Medvedev secured the break.
Another break in the seventh game saw Medvedev lead 5-2. He served out the set, having conceded just six points in his four service games.
The second set lasted an hour and 24 minutes, with Nadal enjoying an early advantage when he grabbed a break of serve in the fourth game.
The sixth seed had two break points at 15-40, with Medvedev saving the first with an ace, but he went long with a backhand return on the second to concede the break.
Nadal consolidated the break in the following game to lead 4-1.
Medvedev did get the break back in the seventh game but he dropped serve for a second time to trail 3-5. Nadal used a brilliant forehand drop shot to win the game, a ploy that left Medvedev scrambling at the baseline.
Nadal's task of serving for the set in the ninth game was not made easier when he faced a series of break points.
He resisted the first four, with the third following a pause in the match when security removed a court invader.
Nadal later squandered a set point before being broken, with games now back on serve.
The run of three consecutive service breaks was halted when both players held serve to eventually force the set to be decided by a tiebreak.
Nadal established a 5-3 advantage but Medvedev won three consecutive points to turn the breaker on its head.
He had a set point at 6-5 on Nadal's serve, which he converted with a brilliant backhand passing shot for a two-sets-to-love lead.
Nadal claws his way back
Nadal found himself staring at three break points in the sixth game of the third set when he was down 0-40.
He saved each and went on to win the game, with the score locked at 3-3.
Three games later Medvedev was under the pump with his serve. He saved the first of two break points, but Nadal converted on the third with a backhand winner to lead 5-4.
The crowd roared its approval, with Nadal going on to serve out the set to love, finishing with a clean forehand winner.
Nadal and Medvedev exchanged service breaks early in the fourth set. After Nadal dropped serve in the fourth game it prompted sections of the crowd to begin chanting "Let's go Rafa, let's go!".
Perhaps it spurred Nadal on, as he had a staggering seven break points on Medvedev's serve in the following game, finally getting the break with a clever backhand winner to go ahead 3-2.
Medvedev had earlier voiced complaints to chair umpire John Blom about spectators yelling out between first and second serves.
At the change of ends after the fifth game, he told Blom to "step up" and intervene, describing those spectators as "idiots".
Nadal later had a set point on Medvedev's serve at 5-3. Medvedev saved and went on to hold, but he could not stop Nadal from winning his next service game to force the final into a fifth set.
